Kings of Leon's "Only By the Night" Starts Strong, Quickly Fades

Sometimes, innovation backfires.

As most bands experiment with new sounds from album to album—think Beck, Radiohead and Wilco—Kings of Leon is an exception. But instead of returning to and improving what it does best—pairing energetic drum and bass beats with upbeat guitar riffs—the quartet ventures into a musical world in which “woah-oh-oh” passes for background vocals and each song is a mellow, boring continuation of the previous track. The resulting sound is akin to the worst of Incubus mixed with, it really pains me to say this, Creed.

Just a few days after Kings of Leon’s third album, Because of the Times, was released in April 2007, the Tennessee-born Followills—brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared and their cousin Matthew—began working on tracks for their fourth album—Only By the Night (RCA). While bassist Jared said the album would “rock harder,” the group’s latest effort starts strongly but ultimately fades into mediocrity and strays too far from its grungy Southern roots.

The first two albums, Youth and Young Manhood (2003) and Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004) established the band’s intimate garage-style rock sound and garnered lofty comparisons to The Strokes. Only By the Night, however, continues the much different mood and feel that Because of the Times started. It’s too polished, too big and expansive. Nathan’s echoing drums, Matthew’s wailing guitars, and Jared’s lackluster bass lines amount to a contrived, conventional sound that abandons the simple yet satisfying beats that made songs like “The Bucket,” “Holly Roller Novocaine” and “Red Morning Light” famous.

That’s not to say, however, that the record is a complete waste.

Edgy, affected guitar works well with forceful drums in “Crawl.” And lead singer Caleb continues to impress. His raw, howling vocals carry the album’s first single “Sex On Fire” that chugs along like a powerful locomotive. And the opening track, “Closer,” which Caleb says is about a lovesick vampire, features funky guitar effects that create a desolate, other-worldly mood.

But the album’s bland latter half weakens the whole package. The messy, awkward droning in “I Want You” and the long-winded “Cold Desert” feel unfinished and uninspired.

It’s especially disappointing to hear an album begin with such promise and quickly resort to drab, predictable three-minute and change songs.

While the group has achieved incredible success overseas—last year’s album reached number one on the charts in the U.K. and Ireland—Kings of Leon is best suited to stick with its strengths. A bigger sound isn’t always better. It might work in arenas and other concert venues, but not for everyday listening.