I got my hands on the new Kings of Leon album Only By the Night today. This is where the songs "Crawl" and lead single "Sex On Fire" come from. I dig both of those tracks (Sex more than Crawl), and am very excited to have this new album in my ears right now.Kings of Leon really sold me with their last album Because of the Times. They ditched the straight ahead southern rock for a more epic version of the same. They aren't just an indie Lynyrd Skynyrd on speed anymore, they are a mature rock band that knows how to get down. And get down they did on Times.
Early reports on Night are that it is very much the companion album to Times, and I'm at all upset to report that I agree with the early reports. Night builds on the foundation laid out by Times and reaches further into the stratosphere. I don't think this album will garner them the radio and mass-media attention they so rightly deserve, but I don't think the band (or their fans) will be too upset to find that to be the case.
Having listened to the album several times through, it is apparent that there are 2 distinct halves to Night. The split isn't entirely tempo driven, though one half is much more of a rock album, following the lead of Times; while the other is much more mellow, and shows a darker, and more melancholy side of KOL. The more upbeat first half includes previously available songs "Crawl" and "Sex On Fire," while the more brooding second half includes the epic ballads "Cold Desert" and "I Want You".
This is an album that I think most KOL fans will enjoy, if not on the first listen. However, I think this album is sure to bring new fans into the fold with the ballad heavy second half of the album. I don't really hear any major radio singles on this album, which confirms other early reviews that I've read. That said, KOL continue to build their fan base and have solid record sales, so I don't think anyone in their camp is really complaining.
Kings Of Leon's new album Only By The Night will be available everywhere September 23rd.
Visit Kings Of Leon at their official website and on MySpace.
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2 comments:
Lucky you having this album already. I saw that video last week, I think. Been anxiously awaiting. Mike knows its a guaranteed get on my good side buy. Happy to hear a good review.
I kept listening to the album after writing the review and started giving stars to tracks. Here's the breakdown:
4 stars - 4
3 stars - 4
2 stars - 1
There are 2 tracks with no stars. There are more 4's on the 1st half of the album, but the stars are pretty evenly distributed, in general.
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