Only Getting Better

With autumn unofficially upon us, we can expect to gear up for the year's final push of big time releases. And what would a year (an excellent one musically, at that) be like without a new Kings of Leon record? Fortunately, the Followill clan doesn't intend for us to find out. I'd like to say that their fourth full-length album has maintained some prime real estate in my "highly anticipated" column, but the band's sneak attack strategy prevented any word of this album from leaking to the general public until about a month and half ago. This lack of preparation, however, does not take away from this reviewer's excitement about the band's new undertakings. Like its predecessor Because of The Times, this new one's got a prepositional phrase for a title -- Only By The Night -- a move that will surely cause these two to be mistaken for each other years down the road. And let me just warn you, the similarities don't end with titles. Musically, this one picks up where BoTT left off. And while those who have irrevocably expressed their distaste for the sleek, polished sound showcased on Times will inevitably share their same sentiments for Night, I'm going to have to take the high road here. Put simply, it is this overblown production that shows development within the group -- a move that proves that the Kings are in it to win it. And while I will agree that the brash garage rock of yesteryear worked for these guys for their first couple of releases, it is sometimes this very lack of depth that causes notable bands to lose their luster faster than Shaun Alexander (sorry, sports metaphor).

Like many of the tunes on Because of The Times, Only By The Night has its share of experimental crescendos and solos -- a sign that these guys are starting to think outside of their creative comfort zones. Thankfully, the band no longer feels obligated to replicate the straight-to-the-point, one-dimensional rock of Aha Shake Heartbreak. Album opener, "Closer," which may or may not be ironic depending on how it's read, is chock full of distortion pedal goodness. This aural complexity doesn't stop on the proceeding track, "Crawl," which features a incendiary reverb-induced bass riff from brother Jared. Things really start picking up on the horribly-named, yet near-perfect first single, "Sex On Fire" -- the band's most infectious song to date. The album's standout track, however, is the ballad "Use Somebody," which appears to have stolen that wall of sound, neo-shoegaze from those Brian Eno/Coldplay sessions. Hell, it even contains the "whoa ohs" that Chris Martin has ingrained so thoroughly in our brains. Like any strategically arranged album, the boys slow it down with some decent but forgettable old school Kings songs that will appeal to the masses (see "Revel" and "Manhattan"), but have no fear; things start to get interesting again on "17" -- a song about jailbait that may very well be the prequel or sequel to BoTT's "Knocked Up". "Notion" strikes up some serious resemblances to the band's Youth & Young Manhood days, which serves as a nice blast to the not-too-distant past. The band's musical prowess is evident on "Be Somebody" (not to be confused with "Use Somebody"), and features the clinic-worthy pounding abilities of brother Nathan. The album concludes on a very high note with the slow-building "Cold Dessert," which is, to say the least, a far-cry from the band's "Wasted Time" days.

The unfortunate thing to consider is how much Kings of Leon have developed in a such a short period of time. I say "unfortunate" because I am almost certain that all this experimentation will lead to the inevitable backlash from countless critics who will claim that these guys have strayed too far off the beaten path from their roots. Which to me, is obviously nonsense. Although I am certainly appreciative of the amazing one-two punch of their first records, it's gratifying to see one of the most talented bands step it up notch. Take into account the band's productivity, precocious musical sense, and their relentless touring tendencies, and you've got some kings, er, legends in the making.

My Rating: 8.3/10