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Only by the Night
Participated by Kings of Leon
Studio : Rca
by Rca
Release Date : 2008-09-23
Publisher : Rca
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
EAN : 8869732712238
UPC : 886973271223
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 77 reviews)
List Price : $16.98
Our Price : $8.23
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Album Description |
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Kings of Leon return with the release of their highly anticipated fourth album 'Only By The Night' on 22nd September through Columbia Records. 'Only By The Night' is a bold and expansive sonic statement that looks set to solidify Kings of Leon's position as one of the most important international acts of 2008 and beyond. It follows rapidly in the footsteps of the bands previous albums 'Youth And Young Manhood', 'Aha Shake Heartbreak' & 'Because Of The Times', which have quickly established them as one of the most prolific and acclaimed acts around. |
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Marketadvisory.com |
Despite a wave of criticism asserting that Kings of Leon's fourth full-length is "too commercial," Only by the Night may be the closest thing to a pitch-perfect album to drop in 2008. Granted, Tennessee's band of brothers (and one first cousin) takes a turn for the heavily polished here, but what the album lacks in rough-edged raunch, it more than makes up for in earnestness and--yes--stunning beauty. From the opening notes of "Closer" to the listing balladry of "Cold Desert," Only by the Night hardly misses a beat. Highlights abound, particularly in the trading off of melodic lines between instruments, and in this regard, bassist Jared Followill is the album's quiet MVP. Above these gorgeous instrumentals, singer Caleb emotes with a dramatic grit that never loses its command. A model of melodic rock composition, arranged and produced with a warm, inviting veneer, and performed with aching sincerity, these 11 tracks coalesce into a sanguine whole that eclipses the band's much-discussed rock posturing and yields more with every play. A good band's great album, Only by the Night (finally) establishes Kings of Leon as a rock act that worthy of seriously sustained attention. --Jason Kirk
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Super Good |
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This is one of the best groups to come around in awhile. Great musicians, great song structure. |
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Blues Rock in quite possibly a vein all its own |
Recently my sister was able to travel from Canada to Seattle to see Kings of Leon, and based off of the strength of Only By The Night, I wish I could have gone with her. The Followill's are new to me, but after hearing "Sex On Fire", I had to find the source of this distinct blues pop fusion. And find it I did, in Only by the Night, KOL's fourth album (clearly I've missed a lot).
I was taken by the distinctive and refreshing sound of this band. "Closer" begins with a haunting, subdued build-up, leading into an eerie display of vocal angst as the singer emotes the suffering of a lovesick vampire. After the warmup, "Crawl" picks things up with a curiously familiar dominating riff and a politically charged lyrical theme. Politically it is an intelligent song that peppers in some interesting religious doctrine. Very topical and rather smart if I may say so myself.
"Sex On Fire" propels things even further into intensity with its' fast-paced, sexually charged lyrics and screaming passion. Caleb Followill is one of the best vocalists in the business right now. From his angsty inflection to the natural bluesy roughness, it's not something you'll hear on the radio as much these days, and that's a real shame. "Use Somebody" changes things up a bit with a nice, charming ballad sound. The next song, "Manhattan", is a curious and unexpected departure from the rest of the record. It has an amazing groove about it, making you want to get up and dance to the infectious beat. The bassline is some of the best stuff from recent memory. This would be an absolute blast to see live.
"Revelry" is one of the stronger tracks on the record. I found the song just stuck in my head forever. A song like this may not fare well over radio waves but it fits perfectly on Only By The Night. Despite some nice bass work and a couple good hooks, "17" is on the weaker side as compared to the rest of the record. Gladly things pick right back up with "Notion", my favorite track on Only By The Night. It possesses an infectious, multi-layered musicality interwoven with some of the smartest lyrics I've heard from these guys. This is without a doubt the catchiest track on the album. The next two songs aren't very inspired or interesting, but fortunately it all ends nicely with the subdued, bluesy ballad "Cold Desert". The song has a charming sensibility to it, and I thought it a fitting way to end one of the strongest releases of 2008.
I plan on picking up the rest of the band's work. Consider me officially "blown away". |
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Great Album, Great Band |
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This is an excellent album. The highlights for me include "sex on fire", "manhattan", "revelry", and "notion". Caleb's vocals have never sounded better, and the rest of the band is outstanding here, especially the bassist. Sure they may have "sold out", but with melodies as good as are on display here, who cares? I'm not sure this is their best album though, their previous album "because of the times" is an absolute classic, but nevertheless I recommend any fan of rock music to buy this and you won't be disappointed. I can promise you that. |
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Only By The Night (****1/2) |
Kings Of Leon-Only By The Night ****1/2
Only By The Night is the closest to a picture perfect album as it has got in 2008. Melodic and true; polished but with grit, in other words fantastic.
This group of family members have despite what some may think, reached a high of their career surpassing all their previous efforts. Vocalist Caleb sings with a gritty linear voice with just the right amount of smooth to please everyone within listening distance. The subtle musicianship compliments his vocals nearly perfectly.
'Closer' opens it and really encompasses everything the album is going to do in the one song. 'Crawl' is the hardest and deserved second single. 'Be Somebody' and 'Manhattan' have both been done esthetically but Kings Of Leon give it a new twist and do it very well. 'I Want You' breaks hearts while the closer 'Cold Desert' evokes every other emotion known to man. It is however the albums lead single 'Sex On Fire' that shows the power of the band both lyrically and performance wise.
Only By The Night is a fantastic record and among the very best of 2008. |
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KOL > MMJ |
So this year two pretty major developments took place in Southern Indie Rock. Cult favorites My Morning Jacket and now Kings of Leon crossed over into the mainstream with their newest releases. But these albums are totally different and say a lot about the bands respectively.
I won't rehash my harsh criticism of the MMJ album, except to say that it was not consistent with their previous efforts - in any way, except their penchant for experimentation. It is a terrible album, but to their credit, they make some of it work very well live because they are a truly great band (see the recent Austin City Limits performance) .
This effort by KOL, on the other hand, is not experimental. It is growth. Think the difference between Death Cab's latest and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's latest (which was just experimental piffle). If you were around from the beginning with KOL and you did not see this coming, I'm sorry but you just weren't paying attention. With each album and successive tour this band has shown tremendous growth by expanding their sound, not changing it. The sonic elements that dominate this album are easily discernible in "Trani" from Youth and Young Manhood and others along the way. Will they make a more rocking record next? I hope so, but they deserved to make this album. And it stands on its own as a very solid, and at times, brilliant effort.
Sure, KOL could have made jingle jangle albums for a few more years. I would have bought them and I would have checked out their shows whenever they were in town. But from the beginning, like many of us I loved this band not just for what they were, but for what they could become. They continue to defy our expectations, in a good way. KOL is now a great band. Baby's all grown up, and I'm so proud. |
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