I wouldn’t really recommend buying the new Kings of Leon album, Only By the Night. Or at least, don’t buy it before you have the chance to hear it. I didn’t pay much attention to the band in the past – it’s guitar-heavy stadium-size yet grounds-level rock music with an American feeling to it. If that’s your thing then that’s alright, they’re not bad and they’re not a part of the godawful yank-rock club (think 3 Doors Down etc) despite being guitar-heavy and American. They’ve simply been somewhat uninteresting. They’ll probably end up getting pretty famous though, they’ve got the sort of ring to them that suggests they’ll eventually become the American equivalent of U2. Once again, your mileage may vary on that.

What I do suggest however is that you pay attention to at least two tracks on their latest album. The album was in somewhat of a heavy rotation in a car I’ve had to be driven a lot in the past week and through that form of airplay two tracks stood out so well I felt like hearing the album properly in my own privacy. Turns out the album wasn’t as enchanting as the initial car play suggested but those two tracks that stood out then stood out now as well.

Closer, the opener of the album, starts out with an ethereal line of squeaky beeps that continues throughout the song. Soon afterwards a drum pattern of an epic volume and strength starts up and the song is set. Throughout its four minutes Closer becomes a claustrophobic, gripping epic of a darker leanance that is driven by the said drum beat and a wrenching guitar noise. Caleb Followill rock-squeals at the top. If the whole album would have this atmosphere we’d have a hell of an album in our hands.

Nine tracks later Be Somebody pops out into the airspace. The verse isn’t that much to speak of – it’s a good, tom battery-driven verse and I do like my toms. It’s the chorus. All of a sudden the strong, masculine verse is replaced with a light, skyreaching chorus with dovetailing guitars and a yearn for freedom and release. That chorus is quite awesome and the contrast between it and the verses makes it sound great each and every time.

The rest of the album does have its moments. Manhattan goes about in a chilled, relaxing pace and has rather wonderful bass riff moments when the four-stringers toys around the higher notes and stands as a great highlight. The closer Cold Desert comes off as a bit too “pity me” sound-wise occasionally but maintains a strong atmosphere none the less. And if you enjoy your guitar rock that tries to reach stadium heights, you could find a lot more great moments from the album. Me, I was left a tad cold but it’s not like the music’s downright bad.

Unlike the album’s UK cover which makes even Mew’s And the Glass Handed Kites cry.

MP3: Closer

Tags: Kings of Leon

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Reviews, Song Ramble. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.