Kings of Leon - Only By The Night (2008)

Kings of Leon have always been a band I’ve enjoyed, as they never seemed to take themselves seriously. Sure they had serious songs but they remembered to make ‘fun’ records. Because of the Times was a change of pace as they deconstructed the ‘southern strokes’ tag and created a larger, more pristine sound. While this was a different pace for them, they certainly didn’t ignore their old direction. Only By The Night completely washes away their previous credibility.

It’s sad to say, but this album is packed with generic and instantly forgettable songs. They lack the infectious fun of their first two albums or the originality of their previous one.

“Closer” opens the album and sets the mood with its atmospheric guitar effects and its marching percussion beat. This is the highest point of the record, as the rest of the tracks shift from dull to terrible.

“Sex On Fire” stands out with its embarrassing lyrics and lazy guitar playing that never seems to progress. Afterward, the record loses all credibility because of “Use Somebody”. It plods along like a bad U2 imitation without sounding genuine.

Whether we get monotonous love ballads (“I Want You”) or songs toting pointless sexual confusion (“17”), the album never feels inspired. The problem is that it feels as though it’s filled with leftovers from the previous LP.

Since Because of the Times was a somewhat successful album for them, it’s no surprise then that they wanted to continue with that sound. As they say ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
Right?
Right?

35
(41 - AI)
Combined Rating = 38