Like everybody else this side of 2009, I can't seem to escape "Use Somebody," the single from Kings of Leon's sophomore effort, "Only By The Night." Constantly sandwiched cozily between Taylor and Miley on the Top 20 Charts, it seemed that the bratty, brawing Followill Family Band behind 2007's "Because of the Times" had joined the ranks of rock'n'roll sugar-coaters and water-downers. Not so. "Only By The Night" is a pleasant step forward from their decent, but somewhat archaic debut. One spin of "Only By The Night" and every screechy, angsty echo from "Because of the Times" melted into a comfortable swirl of confident, grown-up rock: this time around, driven by dreamy, haunting guitar riffs. "Only By The Night" harnesses frontman Caleb Followill's out-of-control and sloppy vocals from the first record, producing a blues-y croon that complements perfectly the Kings' unique blend of classic, garage and indie rock: passionate, longing vocals soaring high above the sullen, no-nonsense rock below, flowing as thick and heavy as Tennessee moonshine.
TVJ Pick: "Crawl:" A quintessential bar jam, "Crawl" seems destined for singlehood. Distorted bass trudges over lazily-hypnotic drums, with a hyper, Jack White-esque guitar hook taking over before melting into a smooth, bluesy chorus.
-thejunkie
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