Spring Break
Kings of Leon miss mark on new album
2.5/5 stars
Andrew Peters
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: Focus
If anything was left uncertain about Kings of Leon's direction after their last album in 2007, it became clear with their new release Tuesday. The Kings' fourth full-length studio effort, "Only by the Night," marks an undeniable shift from the indie, festival realm to arena rock. And by extension, the band's assumption they can sell out arenas confirms what we already secretly knew: the biggest fans of Kings of Leon are … the Kings of Leon.
The 43-minute, 11-track disc finds the Kings in unfamiliar territory. Instead of an outdoor stage in Jack Daniels country, "Only by the Night" seems to be set in a Giants Stadium soundcheck. The album falls victim to the classic irony - as a band's popularity grows, the aspects of their music that originally made it popular seem to fade. For the Tennessee rockers, those aspects had been edgy riffs, southern rock roots and a raw, energetic sound. On "Only by the Night," it seems the band denounced any notion of heritage, trading grungy distortion for glimmering effects, guesswork for calculation, density for open air. Their usual swagger feels like arrogance here, and the result is a relatively toothless album from a band that usually brings some bite.
Looking at the album independently from the rest of their catalog, however, "Night" is listenable enough on its own. Frontman Caleb Followill's lyrics are mostly indiscernible - but for the most part, that's just as well. His distinct howl, however, lends familiarity to the band once dubbed "the Southern Strokes." And much like their New York counterparts, Kings of Leon still craft an album with a few straight-rocking highlights - "Crawl," "Manhattan" and "Revelry" are among the stronger tracks. However, the Kings struggle to maintain momentum in the album's second half, which is marred by the stale, jailbait lament "17" and the sweeping, overproduced "I Want You." Tracks like opener "Closer," single "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody" and "Be Somebody" show promise, but ultimately fall victim to predictable structure and airy arrangement.
In the end, "Only by the Night" may be the album that finally launches Kings of Leon to superstardom in the U.S., but it's not going to be the one that impresses old fans. If the Kings' first two albums were like shots of bourbon and their last was a whiskey sour, listening to "Only by the Night" feels a lot more like sipping a Shirley Temple through a straw. It's tamer, more palatable and full of processed sugar - but in the end, it doesn't do the trick.
The 43-minute, 11-track disc finds the Kings in unfamiliar territory. Instead of an outdoor stage in Jack Daniels country, "Only by the Night" seems to be set in a Giants Stadium soundcheck. The album falls victim to the classic irony - as a band's popularity grows, the aspects of their music that originally made it popular seem to fade. For the Tennessee rockers, those aspects had been edgy riffs, southern rock roots and a raw, energetic sound. On "Only by the Night," it seems the band denounced any notion of heritage, trading grungy distortion for glimmering effects, guesswork for calculation, density for open air. Their usual swagger feels like arrogance here, and the result is a relatively toothless album from a band that usually brings some bite.
Looking at the album independently from the rest of their catalog, however, "Night" is listenable enough on its own. Frontman Caleb Followill's lyrics are mostly indiscernible - but for the most part, that's just as well. His distinct howl, however, lends familiarity to the band once dubbed "the Southern Strokes." And much like their New York counterparts, Kings of Leon still craft an album with a few straight-rocking highlights - "Crawl," "Manhattan" and "Revelry" are among the stronger tracks. However, the Kings struggle to maintain momentum in the album's second half, which is marred by the stale, jailbait lament "17" and the sweeping, overproduced "I Want You." Tracks like opener "Closer," single "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody" and "Be Somebody" show promise, but ultimately fall victim to predictable structure and airy arrangement.
In the end, "Only by the Night" may be the album that finally launches Kings of Leon to superstardom in the U.S., but it's not going to be the one that impresses old fans. If the Kings' first two albums were like shots of bourbon and their last was a whiskey sour, listening to "Only by the Night" feels a lot more like sipping a Shirley Temple through a straw. It's tamer, more palatable and full of processed sugar - but in the end, it doesn't do the trick.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Dree
posted 9/25/08 @ 11:35 AM EST
Aha Shake Heartbreak for the win.
rockchick
posted 10/10/08 @ 9:15 PM EST
that was the best and most dead on critique i have heard in a long while. exactly how i feel...but put more cleverly.
Post a Comment