Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰Whenever a new album by Kings of Leon comes out. I always think they can't top that album and they've reached their peak. Then they prove me wrong and release another album and it just keeps getting better all the while.
It's no question the Followills have grown over time with each album they produce and that I believe is the secret to them ""better-ing" their sound" if you will.
They've worked so hard to come this far and reach America's audience and receive approval for their work from Americans. Honestly in my opinion they have quite a few fans in America and I'm proud to call myself one of them. The fact, however, remains that they have a larger fan base in England.
Only by the Night reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, had two single week stints as the UK #1 album in '09 and one directly after the BRIT Awards. You can see the comparison in European reactions to the album versus those in America. The album reached number 5 on the Billboard Charts in America and acknowledgment of the album with the British press giving the album admirable reviews.
✰Facts: Source-Wikipedia
Q magazine named
Only by the Night "Album of the Year" for 2008. In the United States, reactions to the album were more mixed.
Spin,
Rolling Stone, and
Allmusic gave the album positive reviews, while
Pitchfork Media gave the album a virtual equivalent of 2 stars. The album was officially named as the UK's third biggest selling album of 2008
[20] and the biggest selling album of 2008 in Australia.
[21] "
Sex on Fire" was the first single released for download in the UK on 8 September. The song became their most successful as it peaked at number one in the UK and in Ireland. It was also their first song to chart number one on the
Billboard Hot Modern Rock chart. The second single to be released from the album on December 8, 2008 was "
Use Somebody" which achieved worldwide chart success and consistency, such as peaking at number two in the
UK Singles Chart, and also reaching top ten chart positions in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States.
I've been a fan of "the Kings" (as I like to refer to them) since being first introduced to them by their early songs, The Bucket and Four Kicks. And later after their third album's release, On Call, Knocked Up, and McFearless were my top three favorite songs by them. The lyrics were so Spiritual and heartfelt with deep intensified definition it reached out and forcefully grabbed my soul. Songs that have that effect on me make profound impressions on me and I never forget them.
✰Personal Viewpoints:Being someone who spends considerable amounts of time each day listen to music I tend to become critical of what is good and what isn't so much and what merely sounds just like all the others and what truly stands out audaciously embracing its unique. I listen to a wide variety of genres, and when people would inquire who was my favorite group I would say, "I don't believe in having a favorite band, because there's too many great bands out there and I can't chose just one to stand above the rest." After listen to Only By the Night several times I can truthfully and audaciously tell you that Kings of Leon is my favorite band of current music. I've followed them for years and I greatly approve of their works as well as highly recommend them.
Recommended Songs:✰ Closer
✰ Crawl
✰ Use Somebody
✰ 17
✰ Be Somebody
✰ Cold Desert
You can find music by Kings of Leon from iTunes and Rhapsody and listen to full length songs from all of their albums for free on Mix Pod and Rhapsody.
I found a free download of El Perro Del Mar's song A Change of Heart on a random free download site and I can't stop repeating it on my classic pod. Something about it makes you just want to keep hearing it again over and over. Well that's what it does for me anyway. You can decide what you think of it and download it for free on El Perro Del Mar's website http://www.elperrodelmar.com/
