Across the pond, the Brits have got it right. Americans, listen up: Embrace the countrified rockers Kings of Leon.
With their release of their fourth album Only By the Night — the second album that has gotten continued worldwide recognition — the group continues to fight for solid Americanized support while winning more recognition from the country that boosted their popularity. Instead of pushing themselves to grow beyond the clich? garage-rock sound of their first album, the Tennessee band of three brothers and a cousin morph from the Brits’ celebrated discovery to a band squeezing their way onto mainstream American radio.
And what better way to gain America’s attention by spicing things up a bit?
This could be the reasoning behind the band’s provocatively titled first single off the album, “Sex On Fire.” Different from last year’s Because of the Night album, lead singer Caleb Followill lends his unique, overemotional vocals instead of relying on guitar riffs to carry the song. His twang-filled voice is slower and much more comprehensible, a change from his signature shouts through a majority of the previous album.
“Sex on Fire” begins with a two-chord guitar sequence that does not wander any further than the repetitive sequence it opens with. With lyrics like “You, your sex is on fire/ And so were the words to transpire,” it makes the song sound like a petty piece of work compared to the band’s unique writing and instrumental talents. Unimportant words such as “greatest” or “talking” are repeated by Followill for dramatic effect, but it still doesn’t gain poignancy.
Additional unoriginal songwriting shines through in “Use Somebody,” another run-of-the-mill mainstream indie mix that has Followill squeaking about wanting to “bone” a random face in the crowd, but it’s an acceptable song that mirrors the theme of sexual innuendos this album is striving for.
The insight of the band manages to shine through, however, and the Kings of Leon most fans are accustomed to still prevail in this album. Their songs seem to follow a continual instrumental theme — a catchy melodramatic beginning that slowly lyrically levels out and melds into a high intensity guitar solo that calmly closes out the end.
The entire band has plenty of room to experiment on this album. Jared Followill lays down subtle but relentless bass lines, and Caleb and cousin Matthew Followill build on them, with soaring guitar breaks in “Use Somebody” to dramatic lines in “Revelry.”
The surprise element Kings of Leon excels and particularly shines through in “I Want You,” a song filled with blunt lyrics on, well, wanting someone, and has a background of choppy guitar strings, drum sequences and a pleasurably surprising cowbell appearance.
Kings of Leon have responded to the experience of touring with U2 by making an album that seems better calculated to appeal to commercial mainstream. Their new album’s sound seems to be driven by their experiences with this prolific rock band, as a boozy classic rock sound of muffled guitar chords and strong vocals fills every line of Only By the Night.
Despite some flaws in songs that seemed to have sloppy, trivial lyrics, a majority of Only By the Night verifies why this band is prevailing among bands that were part of America’s faded, early 21st century heritage-rock boom.
Welcome to America, Kings of Leon.
3 stars out of 5