reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

This band of art-twanging siblings (and one cousin) has long been a part of the drooly Friends of REAX circle, so you probably know what we're gonna say about their latest anyway, and yup, you're right - we love this baby. We don't love it as much as the unimpeachable Aha Shake Heartbreak, which is looking more and more like the quartet's high-water mark, but damn, if Only By The Night isn't a fine step forward for the group. More spacious and soaring than previous efforts, it pulls apart the manic, tightly coiled riffs of its predecessors, freeing 'em from the Kings' trademarked shuffling grooves and giving them room to breathe. As a result, the marvelous vocal melodies are more prominently featured, and those occasional U2 comparisons suddenly seem a bit less retarded. (Also, you can actually discern what Caleb Followill is singing this time around. Sometimes.) The taut, Stills-esque "Sex on Fire," steadily building "Notion" and alternately claustrophobic and anthemic "Be Somebody" are highlights, but nothing even approaches filler. It's nice to hear a band stretch its creative legs, and not wander away from quality. - Scott Harrell