Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Member since:29.08.2002
Reviews:625
Members who trust:281
This year's return of the Kings of Leon has seen the band release their 4th studio album and perhaps their most successful album to date. Since the release of their debut album back in 2003 it's been a gradual rise from the band as each album seems to have gained them a slightly larger following each time. In a buck to tradition thought the Kings of Leon seem to be getting stronger album by album and in fact this latest release is perhaps their best to date. To still be keeping things original and improving by the 4th album is a trick most band's seem unable to master.
It's of great testament to the band, made up of three brothers and their cousin that after 5 years they can still great an album this good. It was met with slightly mixed reviews on the world stage but in the UK and Ireland, Kings of Leon were quite close to taking Coldplay's title for fastest selling album
of the year. What is it thought that makes this such a good album, well I think it's mainly down to the fact that they have stuck to what they know. Rather than experiment with totally new directions and sounds they are improving and evolving the sound they have become known for.
The album itself was written off the back of the bands previous album Because Of the Times and they had actually started work on it before they released the previous album. In returning to Tennessee the band once again linked up with producers Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King who have worked on previous Kings of Leon albums. The result seems to show that by working with the same people time and time again the band are able to achieve their goal and this album seems to take the next step in their musical legacy and will prove a hard one to top with album number 5.
Sticking to their roots and what they know best the album is still largely driven by guitars and a very strong drumbeat. There is something slightly louder and more intense about this album and that seems to have encapsulated the bands desire to really write an album of good rock tracks. There are still a few slower tracks on the album that seem to break up the heavier tracks nicely, but it's these faster, heavier tracks that really give the album it's listen ability. The guitars work really well with the solid drumbeat that while keeping the tracks on a decent footing, allow the guitars to really create an amplified, louder rock sound.
The lyrics are a little bit darker in places than previous albums and this has been attributed to the fact that bass player Jared Followill was on pain killers whilst writing. In fact it's been suggested by Jared that the medication helped him write some of his best songs and listening to the album he may not be far from the mark. In lead singer Caleb Followill they have a singer with a very unique vocal range. His voice really suits the type of songs and the musical element of the Kings of Leon and I think that really sets the band out from a lot of the other rock bands around at the moment.
From the first time I heard the first single to be taken from this album, "Sex on Fire", I knew that there was something exiting coming from the band. Having now owned the album for about 4 weeks I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Since its release I've bought the new Oasis and Little man Tate albums and neither seem to have managed to replace this in my cars CD player. It's possibly their strongest album in terms of tracks as well. There was only one track at first that I wasn't too sure about and even then "Cold Dessert" has really grown on me over the past few weeks.
It is an album packed full of incredibly strong and listenable tracks. If you're already a fan of Kings Of Leon then I would have thought you would own this by now. If you aren't but liked "Sex on Fire" on the radio and aren't too sure I can honestly say it's worth giving a go. The rest of the album is in a very similar vein and in fact my own personal favourites "Closer" and "Crawl" are actually much stronger tracks than the first single. For the second time in a year I've been really impressed by a new Kings of Leon album and really can't wait to see what they come up with next. My final recommendation? Well its simple really, go buy this album!
Already on course to be one of the year's biggest sellers,Only By the Nighthas sealed ... more
Kings of Leon's unlikely position as Britain's favourite American rock band. The Followill brothers (and cousin) have always been tagged as part of a southern rock tr...
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Already on course to be one of the year's biggest sellers, Only By the Night has sealed ... more
Kings of Leon's unlikely position as Britain's favourite American rock band. The Followill brothers (and cousin) have always been tagged as part of a southern rock ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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