Kings of Leon - Only by the Night (CD)

All Music Guide

With 2007's Because of the Times, Kings of Leon ventured out of the garage and into the arena. Tracks like "Black Thumbnail" and "Camaro" were bold anthemic rock songs that built upon the barnyard stomp of Youth Young Manhood, and Because of the Times topped the U.K. charts upon its debut, officially crowning the Kings as rock roll royalty in the process. Only by the Night arrives one year later, marking the band's fastest turnaround between albums; it also furthers the epic sound that Times introduced, flaunting a set of ringing guitars and radioready melodies that push the band away from the Allman Brothers' camp. If anything, much of this album takes up residence in U2's cathedral, particularly during the onetwothree punch of "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody," and "Manhattan." Caleb Followill doesn't adopt Bono's political agenda, but the same sort of uplift exists throughout the record, which during its best moments rivals Aha Shake Heartbreak as the band's best work to date.