Only By The Night - The Best Album To Date? Or Commercialised Tosh? (Only By The Night - Kings of Leon)

Member Name: World-of-Bones

Product:	Only By The Night - Kings of Leon
Date:	17/06/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Lyrics, Well written music, amazing vocals

Disadvantages: Sex on Fire is massively overplayed

Now a lot of older Kings of Leon fans will put people off this album by saying things like "It's their worst album yet, you'd know that if you were a fan" and "It's just for commercial purposes". Now I don't know about the second comment but i've got to say, the first comment is a complete load. In fact, I would actually say this is their best album to date, it adds a bit more variety to the tracks unlike older KoL. It takes them in a new direction from the normal Indie rock boys they were in their debut album, this is a much more complete package of an album.
It kicks off with the emotional "Closer", a slow, sombre melody sung over fabulously by Caleb with some truly thought provoking lyrics. After 3 minutes of this sad melancholy it finally lets itself go and bursts into a louder, angrier song for a few seconds before mellowing out again. Great song and probably my favourite on the album.
The album progresses into a more rock-esque style after the opening track, with "Sex on Fire" coming third, a song which most people have heard a thousand times before. This is definately the most commercial track on the album, hence why it was the first single. I loved this song when it was first released, with some classic sing-along lyrics within the song, but after hearing it a few hundred times everywhere I go i've kind of gone off the song.
Use Somebody comes next, the second single off the album. This one, however, I haven't grown tired of. It's a great ballad-esque song from KoL with some more brilliant lyrics and great vocal work. As well as the very well written music playing behind it. Within each verse you hear the music gradually building up, as if it's being put under some kind of tension before it lets itself go in one short burst during the chorus before starting the process all over again.
Another stand out track is Revelry. Another of the slower tracks on the album, with some great drawling vocals from Caleb in the chorus, and some great lyrics once again. This, as well as a few other songs utilises a choir to great effect during the chorus that just adds to the whole listening experiences, adding more layers to the songs.
Seventeen is a strange sort of track. When it begins it actually sounds like a Christmas song, and every time I hear it I expect a choir to start singing Christmas carols but it never happens. Instead what we get is another great song that is a bit different fom the rest, but as with almost every song on this album the great lyrics are a constant, as well as the great but distinctive vocals from Caleb. Another constant throughout this album which I haven't mentioned so far is the drumming, the drumming is truly excellent, very well written and perfectly played.
I Want You is another strange track, with the music being constant throughout, almost feeling repetitive, but not in a bad way. It is mainly vocally and lyrically based with the odd bridge thrown in to mix it up a bit. To be honest, when you explain it it doesn't do it full justice because it's actually a very good track and it adds more variety, which,in my opinion, is exactly what Kings of Leon were missing before this album.
Be Somebody returns to their usual Indie style of music against the run of play for the second half of the album, but it's a welcome change, with some more very well written music delivered perfectly to your ears and more of Caleb's great vocals. This more rock-esque approach to the end of the album shows that the band put real thought into the structure of this album, as a more upbeat track just makes the final track, Cold Desert, all the more emotional. Cold Desert is a very sombre track, as if they're saying farewell, and are pretty damn upset about it. The lyrics and music, as usual, are absolutely brilliant, very fitting to the feel of the song. It's a sort of desperate melancholy to leave you feeling like you've just been on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride whilst sat there listening to an album.
Overall, I don't care what Kings of Leon hardcore fans say, I believe this is, musically, their best album to date, with some amazing tracks, brilliantly written music and lyrics, and, as usual, Caleb's fantastic vocals. A must buy for any fan.

Summary: A great album that I believe to be KoL's best to date.