Kings of Leon (c. 2008)
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Kings of Leon in 2008 is a far-cry from the 2003 version. Beards gone, hair cut, look-alike supermodel girlfriends. Almost metro-sexual. And what about the music? Could they be descending into mainstream music biz banality? Or are they maturing from their raw roots into a top-notch rock band?
For the uninitiated, the story goes (roughly) like this: The Tennessee-based Followill family - three brothers and a cousin, all scruffy long hair and beards - after spending their childhood touring the deep south with their preacher dad, come together as Kings of Leon and, in 2003, release their debut album Youth and Young Manhood. This album was a superb high-energy slice of Southern garage blues-rock with punchy raw guitars and howling raspy vocals. Then came Aha Shake Heartbreak in 2004, Because of the Times in 2007 and now, Only by the Night (they love those five-syllable album titles), released September 2008.
These first three tracks of Only By the Night are so good that it would seem that the Followill boys have indeed progressed. The haunting intro sounds of track one, "Closer", combine with heavy guitars to give us a confident, atmospheric opener. Then the swaggering mood continues as "Crawl" fires up with a superb Muse-style distorted bass-line which pulsates and drives the song on relentlessly. Marvellous stuff. Then, track three, is the brilliant huge hit single "Sex on Fire", which builds nicely with choppy guitars and bouncy rhythms to a foot-tapping, chant-a-long chorus. Excellent.
But then, the intro to "Use Somebody" starts with - oh, hang on a minute - a distinctive Coldplay sound and feel. This seems to be almost like a Kings of Leon track with a Coldplay chorus. It even sounds like Chris Martin singing the background whoah-oahs. What the...?
Track five, "Manhattan", is lightweight pop-rock with calypso-style guitars and lyrics about 'dance all night, dance all day". This is followed by the soft-poppy-rock of "Revelry" - all very nicey-nicey with vocals similar to the previous track.
The intro and chorus to "17", sadly, seem to have a Christmas-bell sound which, when combined with the guitars, makes it sound like some awful collaboration between Cliff Richard and The Darkness. Then track eight, "Notion" has a big American rock sound in the arena-style of U2/Coldplay. "I Want You" seems pleasant enough but doesn't seem to go anywhere.
More U2-alike guitars can be heard on "Be Somebody" where Caleb sings about how he's going to "loosen his tie". Errr, Caleb Followill wears a tie? And then finally, "Cold Desert", with guitars heavy on the reverb and sustain which seem to give a general feeling of weariness. 'I'm too young to feel this old.'
For fans of the early Kings of Leon albums (myself included), the album starts superbly, then goes downhill faster than Southern Comfort down a hobo's neck. However, there are plenty of people who will like the more mainstream stadium-rock sounds which the band seem to be developing. Massive record sales and huge arena tours are a certainty.
But I wish someone would take the Followill boys to one side and dirty them back up again.
Click here to buy Only by the Night from Amazon.
These first three tracks of Only By the Night are so good that it would seem that the Followill boys have indeed progressed. The haunting intro sounds of track one, "Closer", combine with heavy guitars to give us a confident, atmospheric opener. Then the swaggering mood continues as "Crawl" fires up with a superb Muse-style distorted bass-line which pulsates and drives the song on relentlessly. Marvellous stuff. Then, track three, is the brilliant huge hit single "Sex on Fire", which builds nicely with choppy guitars and bouncy rhythms to a foot-tapping, chant-a-long chorus. Excellent.
But then, the intro to "Use Somebody" starts with - oh, hang on a minute - a distinctive Coldplay sound and feel. This seems to be almost like a Kings of Leon track with a Coldplay chorus. It even sounds like Chris Martin singing the background whoah-oahs. What the...?
Track five, "Manhattan", is lightweight pop-rock with calypso-style guitars and lyrics about 'dance all night, dance all day". This is followed by the soft-poppy-rock of "Revelry" - all very nicey-nicey with vocals similar to the previous track.
The intro and chorus to "17", sadly, seem to have a Christmas-bell sound which, when combined with the guitars, makes it sound like some awful collaboration between Cliff Richard and The Darkness. Then track eight, "Notion" has a big American rock sound in the arena-style of U2/Coldplay. "I Want You" seems pleasant enough but doesn't seem to go anywhere.
More U2-alike guitars can be heard on "Be Somebody" where Caleb sings about how he's going to "loosen his tie". Errr, Caleb Followill wears a tie? And then finally, "Cold Desert", with guitars heavy on the reverb and sustain which seem to give a general feeling of weariness. 'I'm too young to feel this old.'
For fans of the early Kings of Leon albums (myself included), the album starts superbly, then goes downhill faster than Southern Comfort down a hobo's neck. However, there are plenty of people who will like the more mainstream stadium-rock sounds which the band seem to be developing. Massive record sales and huge arena tours are a certainty.
But I wish someone would take the Followill boys to one side and dirty them back up again.
Click here to buy Only by the Night from Amazon.
Here Is The Writer : Lucho Payne
Lucho Payne works at UBS as an IT Consultant, and has spent the last eight years working in banking and investment management in The City. He regularly attends gigs and concerts, and his favourite venues are the Astoria, Borderline and the 100 Club. He occasionally plays guitar at various venues around town as one half of the acoustic duo "Fagan and Payne".
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