You don't have to tell me that Kings of Leon's new album "Only By the Night" came out almost a year ago; I know. But on the new release rack at Wal-Mart, my options were this, Miley Cyrus, or Boys Like Girls. The choice was clear to me.
This month Kings of Leon's first single off of "Only By the Night," "Sex On Fire" became the second most downloaded single in the United Kingdom at the beginning of this month. Its video, released last month, has been viewed over 20 million times on YouTube. Needless to say, "Only By the Night" was Kings of Leon's big break.
Kings of Leon has become known for their catchy chords and bluesy feel. Lead vocalist Anthony "Caleb" Followill has come a long way since their first EP Holy Roller Novocaine. The first song I heard and liked from Kings of Leon was "Joe's Head" off of their 2003 album Youth & Young Manhood; a friend of mine put it on a mix tape for me a few years ago without listing who sang the song. I hadn't even heard of the band until fall of 2005 when I saw their video for "Four Kicks" on MTV. Let me tell you, it had to have been the most annoying song I had ever heard at the time. Mind you I was fifteen at the time and listening to mostly 80's punk, and I couldn't even handle the vocals in that single.
I have been a Kings of Leon fan since their album "Because of the Times," and a few tracks here and there from their earlier albums. We have a relationship similar to getting a tattoo; it hurts at first, but then I get used to it and even like it. I found "Only By the Night" to be much more pleasing than their early albums, yet safer.
It opens with the song "Closer," setting a sort of haunting theme for the album using sound effects new to Kings of Leon's sound. "Sex On Fire" comes a few songs in; catchy, but not my favorite off of the album. Catchiness is certainly a constant in this album, evident in "Manhattan" and "Notion." This album contains a couple ballads including "Use Somebody" and "Revelry;" the second one being my hands-down favorite song off of the album. And, just like almost any album with the exception of greatest hit compilations, this album ends with the last three songs being very strange (a preview for what's probably coming next).
Kings of Leon has made southern rock mainstream, a fact I was bitter about at first but now have come to embrace. I think this album established Kings of Leon's sound, as well as their place at the top of the charts for future albums.
