Kings Of Leon
(RCA)
Kings of Leon have jumped the shark, gone over the edge, and wrecked the train, simultaneously, miraculously, horribly. Only By the Night is a rock ‘n' roll version of the Palin VP pick - a bad choice at a bad time.
The Kings' blend of Southern rock and post-punk has reaped some wonderful results over the past few years. This, however, is a ridiculous mess of ‘80s darkwave, adult alternative, and arena rock ballads, on which Caleb Followill has replaced his gruff but melodic vocal style with a generic croon. But this is only part of the dumbing-down process the band seems to have gone through. There's no doubt that the boys thought writing sappy ballads, such as "Use Somebody," was a step towards musical maturity.
The reality is that it's a damn shame, and one can only hope the Kings will learn from this blunder.
Standout
Tracks: "Closer," "Use Somebody" JONAH FLICKER
