Reviews (page 2 of 8)
The only thing this album has over all other 2* albums in this list is I listened to it when I was a teenager. It’s time to let bygones be bygones and give this the 2 stars it deserves.
Eh, Its not really my thing. I actually remember Sex On Fire being everywhere back in 2008 and how annoying the song was/got.
The first song Closer sounded like This is Why I'm Hot and I can't unhear it. After listening to quite a few songs consecutively, the vocals get to be a little much. Between not understanding a word and the consistent squeals, it's a little tiring. Amazing instrumentals though.
Much much better than the earlier album I listened to. Good music, really nice vocals. I like his plaintive tone. I will listen to this again.
This was horrendously dull besides a few exceptions
interesting sound, i guess they were inspired by muse?
A lot more classics on this than I expected. Weird to listen to an album that was one of the most popular in the world when you were 5 years old. Have heard these so much but mostly when I was so young, they are almost the songs that I assumed music 'was' when I was a kid. The lesser-known songs were mostly better than I expected them to be. Some were quite forgettable. Overall not bad, enjoyed listening. Favourite Tracks: - Use Somebody - Manhattan - Revelry (sounds so much like Cyclone at times?) - Closer
Their most accomplished record
I'm of the opinion that KoL dropped off pretty hard from Youth & Young Manhood but this album is still great.
Fav- sex on fire! I likes this album very chill and I loved the main duded vocals
Got two good songs👍🏼
Maybe I'm being a little harsh, but I've always had a downer on this band since seeing them in the flesh and them seeming so uninterested and therefore uninteresting. Objectively though - this is a solid album of rock tracks. 'Sex On Fire' I'm totally over, but some of the other stuff I recognised and is ok, and the tracks I didn't recognise followed the standard popularity formula. Altogether a fine example of bog-standard pop rock .
Te glad
Very generic, department store rock. All the songs kinda sound the same.
I remember enjoying this when it came out, but it hasn't aged that well. It's still has a few good songs but there are a lot of fairly generic, not bad but not great songs. It's obviously crazy that they have three albums on the list but I can see the argument that this should be the one since it was pretty big and somewhat influential when it came out, even if it's not the greatest
Enjoyable early 2000's alt rock, I knew the hits but hadn't listened to the band outside of those. Majority of the songs have something going for them and the singer's raspy shouting style doesn't bother me at all. I'm not a musician so maybe what they are doing doesn't technically register as interesting but I also don't think music has to be interesting to connect with people emotionally. I liked this album after a few listens and I wouldn't be bothered to put it on again in the future.
Sex on Fire is one my favorite modern radio rock anthems, but other than that this album is so-so.
Some great bass lines and a few interesting guitar parts on songs that I ultimately didn’t like
Not terrible, but this is very generic white-bread rock and I don't like the singer. If your sex is on fire, you should probably visit the clinic to get that checked out.
Not as good as the first album. Love it though!
K called it on Xian rock.
Bar Sex on Fire, there's nothing really interesting here.
I liked the overall sound, without anything really grabbing my attention.
Got a Kings Of Leon album two days ago, this is what I wrote:- “A few years ago I began to buy CD’s again having prior to that sold my original CD’s in favour of streaming. I think a lot will identify with that. I concentrated my efforts second time round in raiding charity shop’s and buying very cheap. If I say I’ve somehow now have 7 KOL CD’s when previously I had none indicates how prevalent they are on the second hand market. All 7 which include this album, were bought on a punt as I thought that I had missed out on them and that I should have the KOL in my life. How wrong I was. Still, I don’t think I paid in total more than £1.50 but even then think I’d have been better off buying a cup and saucer which are generally next rack along in charity shops. Note to self, looks like there are 3 KOL albums on the list and this is my second. Remember to cut and paste the third” Came round quicker than I thought but at least in the last album of their 3 albums on the list. 2/5 27/7/26
Before this starts, I want to go on record that there is too much Kings of Leon on this list. This is like the equivalent of the NME list where the one woman put five National albums in the top ten. The lead singer's voice wavers between unique and annoying. I never really liked Sex on Fire, certainly not as much as Use Somebody, but it was the bigger hit. I wonder if they still perform 17 live. This is a perfectly cromulent album...it's not that exciting though.
less fun than the debut. the band sounds more polished, but the singer somehow sounds more unbearable. there is no reason for kings of leon to have 3 albums on this list
My real dislike for ‘Sex is on Fire’ means I would never normally listen to an album by these. ‘Closer’ and ‘Revelry’ are actually ok, but overall a very irritating listen
Not in my edition of the book! 2008. 2 stars. Perfectly acceptable stadium rock for the new millennium. Unfortunately they all sound the same. And if your sex is on fire, you're not using enough lubricant.
Amazing album, all great songs!
I don't even need to listen to this one because it is one of my favourite albums of all time but I will. Closer is up there as one of my all time favourite songs but also Crawl, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody, Revelry, 17, I want you, Notion and Cold Desert. For real I think this could be one of the sexiest albums of all time
phenomenal... truly, wow
You're telling me there are 3 of these albums on here? Oh god. I hate this "indie" stadium sound, I'd rather be listening to Imagine Dragons right now. Don't get me started on 17.
Very good lbum better than last one and I really liked that one. Its unpredictable lot of diferent tempo changes and great musicians.
6/10 – Decent
Classics "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody". Alright album.
I just listened to the album before this last week and it was a snooze fest. This is a vast improvement. They really embrace a thicker, more expansive sound and the songwriting is much improved. Use Somebody is that good of a song. Sex on Fire isn’t tho.
the problem with me is that i like arena rock. the bombastic varient. and this album satisfied me but not quite. 3/5
Mildly more interesting to listen to than the previous two (!?) entries by this band, but any interest is largely drowned out by some kind of incessant caterwauling. The false fadeout at the end should be grounds to send these guys to the Hague.
I just realized that all 3 Kings of Leon albums are removed from the current edition. The other two definetly deserve it, this one is actually much better.
It‘s Not mine
Was okay...just remember the famous songs still. Somewhere between 3 and 4
J'ai adoré le premier son, j'ai bien aimé les sons 2 à 4 et après c'est ennuyant ou bof jusqu'à l'outro que j'ai bien aimé. Dans l'ensemble assez sympa mais oubliable. Le son 17 ????? (album de 2008 pas 1960) Je réécouterai probablement pas à part "Closer"
Pas mal mais on se sait
Pretty cool.
Очень уж вылизанный и отточенный мне показался. Но слушал не без интереса.
This one has the songs I first heard from them when Sex on Fire was popular, even though that song didn't really hit with me, some of the other singles like Use Somebody and Notion did more, so I'll give this a soft 4, because I did mostly enjoy it even if his singing is sort of on the edge of not liking it for me.
Pretty good
What a ride. I actually enjoyed the non-hits more than the hits, not all of which have aged well. These guys are some talented musicians, and the riffs are great. But songs like "17" have "Warrant"-like lyrics and are very costly.
This album had 4-star potential…if only the vocals had been sung like a normal person. One star deduction for general whininess. Another one star deduction for constantly turning 1-syllable words into 2-, 3-, even 5-syllable words.
GOATED JUST GOATED
Third Kings of Leon album. Quite liked the other two, this one tries to be a bit too stadium. There may be some correlation between being able to understand the singer, and the quality of the music. I could understand the lyrics quite well on this one.
3⭐️/5 07.11.2026
Very nice. "Sex On Fire" is a hit!
This one hit i dunno
I'd not listened in their heyday. I'm getting into the groove. The songs vary a good bit in focus and quality. "The black cat with the gift down below"? C'mon dude. Otherwise mostly interesting. Sometimes repeats the good ideas.
I realize a 2-star is a bit harsh, but I just can't get through a full album of this band. There are some great musical spots, and I hear what it is about the vocalist that captivates. BUT, he gets real old real fast. If he were to explore his vocal snap, aching authenticness once or twice in the course of the record, maybe. But god damn, it never stops. And then everything started to sound like it was designed to evoke an emotion — premeditated and self-aware and yeah, I guess a 2-star is really where I am with this after all.
This is a band with good chops but also no imagination. Also, I don't care for the singer. We definitely don't need three KoL albums on this list. Not even sure if we need one. Also, I hate their fucking name.
I knew the name of the band but really never heard anything by them. Kinda remember they were pretty hyped in the mid 2000s. I don't get it. Boring.
I think I had this album in college! Loses a star bc of the song about a 17 year old 3/5
This was the album that made these guys go BOOM! They were always around the outskirts of the mainstream. Then Sex on Fire & Use Somebody came out & you couldn't escape the Kings of Leon. Rightfully, so. Though overplayed it highlights them fairly well. I was hoping to get the earlier albums first but I got the one with the poppy hits. 3
So plastic. Why is this here? “Sex on Fire” is the best thing here, but it’s not nearly enough to keep a listener engaged. 2.5?
Uno dei migliori album degli anni 2000, almeno per quanto riguarda la scena indie rock, è un 4,5 ma do 4 stelle
Fine album with hits...but nothing more.
This is the one that put KOL over the line in America. Huge hits. Use Somebody is an absolute ripper and a love song at the same time.
Well produced, well played, but left me cold. The songs are just not memorable
3.8
So many songs that I forgot defined my youth
Banger after banger
A cautionary tale and a modern tragedy.
I didn't like this when it came out. It's grown on me.
Es el álbum más estereotípicamente 'yanki conservador que intenta no parecerlo' que alguna vez escuché, desde ese sonido tan blando que carece de espíritu y autenticidad hasta esas letras que pasan de ser tanto misóginas como religiosas a aparentar tomar una postura política progresiva mediante alegorías al sexo. Prefiero ni meterme a hablar de la canción "17", pero esta solo termina de consolidar mi postura. Carece de sentido etiquetarlos como 'indie' cuando son más cercanos a cantantes de country con guitarras eléctricas que a otra cosa. Inentendible que hayan dos álbumes más de ellos en esta lista. ↑: Closer ↓: Manhattan, 17, I Want You, Be Somebody
I enjoyed this more than some of the other reviews that are out here. It’s far from a complete album, no doubt; but the first four songs on this record were an incredibly strong start. We’ve all heard Use Somebody and Sex On Fire before and both are great songs, but Closer and crawl were excellent as well. After that, this album is not nearly as good. All of the songs that follow the first four were solid, but nothing was outstanding. As a result, 4 stars from me. Much better than average, not close to a 5 star album though.
I missed this band moment.
Day901 - this is one of the last albums i physically bought. i’m not necessarily a kings of leon fan but this has to me their three best songs
This is a good rock album, I will say that I was a bit tired of listening to it by the end, the other thing is that while yes I think this was a good album I do question this album being one I must hear before I die, again some pretty big albums have been left off and this album is in the list.
What again? How much do we really care about these dudes?
Really like this band. Nice music and vocal
I love this album. Not sure it is the beta of all time but a very good rock album from the 2000s
Decent album with several hit songs in the first half.
Me encanta, va con mi estilo actual
Helt ok. Mycket minnen till albumet och Sex on Fire och Use Somebody är mycket bra och catchy låtar. Dock kommer jag inte ifrån känslan att albumet är skapat av killar som vill ligga med modeller för killar som vill ligga med modeller... Basic rock, tillräckligt för att bli kända typ. De har mig veterligen inte kunnat följa upp succén med detta album och lever kanske på gamla meriter?! Väldigt amerikanskt men helt ok trots allt.
Love this album
“Somebody” will trigger memories of its generation in the future. Nothing memorable other than that. Nothing bad either. It’s just all right with me.
Not as bad as I was expecting, not something I'd generally choose to listen to but have had worse albums as part of this process
Sounds like college
Ressemble à absolument tous les albums de rock des années 2000-2010 C'est sympa à écouter ! Bonne ambiance, chouette voix, mélodies intéressantes mais rien de mémorable, j'oublierai vite quoi...
all these songs sounded the same to me….. just as irritating as his voice
Very not me. I just find the lead singer's voice super-annoying.
6.16.26 for a significant portion of my life this has been a 'my dad likes this' album in my head, so some songs on here really have a soft spot in my heart lol. i wish it had a bit more variety but their shtick is pretty solid. Favorite Song: Manhattan Rating: 3.5/5
Liked this one more than I expected to. Probably still won't run out an buy a copy, but it's a good, fairly straight-forward rock album.
This does absolutely nothing for me.
A pretty good album, I liked Sex on Fire and Manhattan the most.
### Overview *Only By The Night* is the fourth studio album by the Tennessee-bred rock band Kings of Leon. Following the Southern-stomp of *Aha Shake Heartbreak* (2004) and the more polished *Because of the Times* (2007), this album represented a deliberate shift toward arena-filling rock. It became their commercial breakthrough, catapulting them from cult favorites to global headliners. However, this success came with artistic trade-offs that divided longtime fans. --- ### Lyric Analysis **Strengths:** Caleb Followill’s lyrics on *Only By The Night* move away from the sleazy, anecdotal storytelling of early work (“Taper Jean Girl,” “Molly’s Chambers”) toward broader, more existential and atmospheric themes. There’s a noticeable preoccupation with **isolation in public spaces**, **spiritual emptiness**, and **escapism**. - **“Closer”** – Opens with “Stranded in this spooky town / Stopwatch is ticking ‘til I get out.” The lyrics are minimalist but effective, evoking paranoia and carnal desperation. - **“Crawl”** – An anthem of resilience: “I know you got pain / Just let it shine.” Simple, mantra-like. - **“Cold Desert”** – The most lyrically raw moment. The closing confession: “I’ll never be your cornerstone / I’m on a prayer to a nothing, nowhere / I saw God and he laughed at me.” It’s a stunning admission of doubt and self-destruction, recorded late at night after drinking. **Weaknesses:** For every “Cold Desert,” there are vague, repetitive lines. **“Use Somebody”** – while catchy – relies on universal clichés (“Someone like you, ooh / I’m ready, ready”). **“Notion”** and **“Manhattan”** suffer from placeholder lyrics that prioritize mood over meaning. The specificity that made early KoL albums feel like literary Southern gothic fiction is largely gone. --- ### Music & Arrangement **The Shift:** The band traded raw, jagged garage-rock for **spacious, delay-drenched arena rock**. Guitars are cleaner, drums more measured, and melodies are hook-first. - **Matthew Followill’s guitar** – Moves from bluesy leads to textural, U2-inspired arpeggios and Edge-like delay (especially on “Revelry” and “Use Somebody”). The solo on “Manhattan” is clean and melodic, not raucous. - **Caleb’s voice** – Evolved from a yelping, punk-blues snarl (early days) to a crooning, reverb-soaked, Bono-esque wail. This is most apparent on “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody,” where he holds long, soaring notes. - **Rhythm section (Nathan and Jared)** – Jared Followill’s bass becomes more melodic and less rooted (prominent on “Closer” with its synth-like bassline). Nathan’s drumming is simplified, favoring half-time grooves and big tom fills over the jazzy, unpredictable patterns of earlier records. **Standout Tracks (Musically):** - **“Closer”** – Minimalist, hypnotic bass loop, eerie slide guitar, and a martial beat. Uncomfortably sexy. - **“Crawl”** – Swinging, tense riff with a stop-start dynamic that recalls their earlier grit. - **“Cold Desert”** – Sparse piano and a wounded vocal. Proof they could still strip down effectively. **Weaknesses:** Several tracks (**“Notion,” “17,” “Revelry”**) blend into a mid-tempo, reverb-laden sameness. The band’s former unpredictability – sudden tempo changes, dissonant solos, chaotic breakdowns – is almost entirely absent. --- ### Production **Producer:** Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King (returning from *Because of the Times*). **Aesthetic:** Massive, polished, but not sterile. The album is engineered for **stadiums and car stereos**. Key production choices: - **Reverb as an instrument** – Almost every vocal and guitar has long tail reverb, creating a sense of cavernous space. - **Compressed drums** – Snare and kick are punchy but lack natural room tone, giving a modern rock sheen. - **Layered vocals** – Thick harmonies on choruses (e.g., “Sex on Fire”’s “ohhhhh”). - **Dynamic range** – Quieter verses, explosive choruses. Formulaic but effective. **Pros:** The production gives songs like “Use Somebody” a timeless, anthemic quality. It’s clean without sounding over-quantized. **Cons:** The album lacks warmth and grit. Compare the raw, blown-out sound of *Youth & Young Manhood* – *Only By The Night* feels airbrushed. The rawness of Nathan’s snare and the room bleed are gone. For some, this is a betrayal of their roots. --- ### Themes 1. **Fame & Isolation** – Written after years of relentless touring, the album drips with loneliness in crowded rooms (“Manhattan” – “I’m in a Manhattan bar tonight / I just got into town”). 2. **Spiritual Doubt** – “Cold Desert” and “Revelry” question faith, redemption, and purpose without offering answers. 3. **Escapism Through Sex & Substances** – “Closer” and “Sex on Fire” use physicality as temporary relief from emotional numbness. 4. **Brotherhood Under Stress** – Less explicit here than on earlier albums, but the tightness of the rhythm section suggests a unit holding together by playing, not talking. --- ### Influence - **On Kings of Leon** – This album defined their “arena era.” Subsequent albums (*Come Around Sundown*, *Mechanical Bull*) chased this sound with diminishing returns. They would never recapture the raw energy of their first three albums again. - **On Rock Music** – Alongside bands like The Killers (Sam’s Town) and Coldplay (Viva La Vida), KoL proved that post-garage-revival bands could pivot to mainstream rock without losing cred entirely. “Sex on Fire” became a karaoke staple and rock radio fixture for a decade. - **Negatives** – It inspired a wave of imitators: gruff-voiced frontmen, delay-soaked guitars, and “whoa-oh” choruses in alt-rock. The album’s success arguably pushed KoL away from their unique Southern weirdness toward generic rock tropes. --- ### Pros & Cons Summary | **Pros** | **Cons** | |----------|----------| | Huge, anthemic choruses (“Use Somebody,” “Sex on Fire”) | Loss of raw, unpredictable Southern garage-rock sound | | “Cold Desert” is an emotionally devastating closer | Several mid-tempo tracks blur together (“Notion,” “17,” “Revelry”) | | Excellent, cavernous production that rewards good headphones | Over-reliance on reverb and vocal layering; feels airbrushed | | Jared’s bass work on “Closer” and “Crawl” is inventive | Lyrics often trade specificity for vague, universal sentiments | | Catapulted the band to global success (deservedly or not) | Alienated fans of *Aha Shake Heartbreak* and *Youth & Young Manhood* | | Strong thematic cohesion (fame, exhaustion, doubt) | “Sex on Fire” – while catchy – is lyrically nonsensical (“Your sex is on fire” – what does that actually mean?) | --- ### Final Verdict *Only By The Night* is a masterclass in **arena-rock transformation** – for better and worse. It contains some of Kings of Leon’s most enduring songs and their single greatest lyrical moment (“Cold Desert”). But it also marks the point where they sanded off their rough edges to fit a stadium mold. **Recommended for:** Fans of U2’s *The Joshua Tree*, The Killers’ *Sam’s Town*, or anyone who wants big, melancholic rock anthems. **Not recommended for:** Listeners seeking raw, blues-punk immediacy or quirky Southern storytelling. It’s an album of trade-offs: intimacy for scale, danger for accessibility, personality for universality. Whether that’s a success or a sell-out depends on where you first discovered them.
3.4
Herm. I really only liked the first song. Not sure how they lost me so bad for the rest of the album. It all started sounding the same to me after Crawl.
I've always really liked the song Use Somebody. I remember listening to it when it was popular back in the 2000s but I think it holds up. Sex On Fire, on the other hand, I've always found to be a pretty bad song. The rest of the songs on the album are pretty average.
When this album came out, I had a roommate that listened to Sex is on Fire on their phone on repeat. After numerous days of this, I made a comment that we could listen to other songs in the house too. Apparently that song was their coping mechanism for going through a break up.
Such a distinct voice. Without Caleb at the sticks, the Kings of Leon are just 'of Leon'.
Wow what an album. Polished raw rock. Great sound and 3 all time bangers.
Very soft rock, nothing special, and it kinda feels like the tracks blend together. It wasn't bad though and it has some big hits. Favorite track(s) Revelry
Pretty cheesy but sounds good 🧀🧀🧀🧀
Lowest common denominator rock. Genuinely overrated band that everybody else seems to love, but I can't get behind them. Super overplayed and just irritating at this point.
Enjoyed far more than I expected, bonus star for that! :)
An album that is far more consistent than I expected it to be. I thought that it might be a few bits muddled in with a bunch of filler tracks but that's not the case at all. It starts off strong and finishes well, perhaps sagging a little bit in the middle. Despite this, a great rock album. Favourites: Closer Use Somebody I Want You Cold Desert
Pretty good pretty cool. I've always appreciated that Kings of Leon don't really sound like other bands (more specifically the singer of course). A few big time hits on this album too which is fun, and the other songs don't drag them down nor lurk in the shadows of the hits
Had a moment of nostalgia, then was like “oh, what I remember is not really liking this.” Was too embarrassed to play out loud in the park with Nico.
It all feels like music you’d hear during a commercial for NBC’s ‘Heroes’
extra star for nostalgia!
Some pretty good rockers
They released most of this album, recognised nearly everything. I really like the opening track and don't mind a lot of the rest but the magic they had initially has completely gone by this point. My overriding memory of this album is working at Liverpool echo arena for their gig at the height of its popularity. The huge number of fire doors that made it apparently one the quickest arenas to evacuate were hijacked by scallies who rushed the place and pushed the people checking standing tickets to the floor to get in. Lots of changes were made to security after that gig but it's indicative of the fanbase change after sex on fire came out. Not KoLs fault but can't help tar this album as a result.
Ah do you know what, I was coming into this with such a boring opinion - they are all "Sex on Fire", and I preferred their earlier stuff. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Closer, Manhattan, Revelry, Notion, and Be Somebody are brilliant atmospheric stadium-rock, singalong songs. Very distinctive vocals, quite sparse use of instruments so when everything kicks off, it does kick off. Overdrive to 11. To be fair, I've definitely heard this album before, but before, but chose to remember only Sex on Fire and followed the crowd. Scrapes a 5, as I don't care for Crawl, 17, or Cold Desert.
Given I'm fairly sure I've never listened to this album, it's amazing how many tracks I know. Just shows how big they became, assume this was their zenith. It's not as good as their debut album that we had a couple of weeks ago in my opinion, and I preferred the more blues rock style they had on that album. However, it's hard to say this isn't good too, and understandable why it appeals to a larger audience. It's cleaner, and more sanitised, probably by design. Use somebody and sex on fire were played to death. Crawl and revelry probably my favourites 4
Indie U2 tribute act on coke mainline's their sweet spot 3.4
This album shocked me. I had heard the 2 big singles before and had "Aha Shake Heartbreak" on this list. Totally blown away by this album. So well done and horny in a great way.
Ne znam je li nostalgija ili ponedjeljnji užas posla i pmsa, ali danas mi je pasao ovaj album na neki način. Znam dosta stvari već, nisam prije slušala u komadu i naravno da nije ni blizu nekog remek-djela, ali eto u odnosu na druge ovo će biti (za moj pojam) visokih 3/5, 5/10
its just your average pop album
wow me ha encantado, lo volvería a escuchar.
I'd like this band if they had a different singer.
I was a bit disappointed to get *another* Kings of Leon album, but this one's actually almost fine. It's sort of like Hot Fuss, where it starts out with a handful of songs that you've heard a billion times on the radio, and then you don't care about anything after that. In the case of Kings of Leon, I feel like some of those later songs (especially "Be Somebody") are trying to be U2? Anyway, this is probably their album that's most worthy of being here and most listenable, though I can't imagine I'll ever think about it again.
Very pleasantly surprised. One more than one occasion I had that the thought of I had no idea this was who sang this, I know and like this song.
Great album. Always a fan of these guys and this album is one of their top efforts. 8.75/10 Top song Revelry
Oof 2008
I think there's too much empty space in a lot of their songs which leads me to think of them as a little bland. Could use more bass or something to make the whole composition sound less thin. That being said they are good clean songs and I have always enjoyed the song 'use somebody' and the vibes are nice
pretty good! standard rock - got some classics on here. Not a fan of 17. But I feel like this is a classic band so fun to listen to that.
I forgot how much I liked their sound from this era. Yes, the singles got overplayed and still pop up on playlists from that era but there's a reason: they're so catchy. I like the fullness of the band's sound and the vocals have so much soul/heart to them.
Attention listeners: If you have a list of Kings Of Leon songs you like, all of them are probably on this album. Outside of the main four hits on this album, the slow, melancholy Rock jams just soothe the soul. The slight middle eastern influence to close out the album caught me off guard in the best way possible. Maybe it's because it provokes nostalgia(by the way, if your sex is on fire, you might have an STD), but this album is a national treasure. Favorite Track: "Sex On Fire".
3.5 / 5 Best: Sex on Fire Worst: Be Somebody Weirdest: I Want You Honorable Mentions: Closer, Manhattan, Notion One of the last good rock bands coming out of the 2000s. This album unfortunately falls off hard at the end but has a good run of both popular hits and lesser known gems. Great wall-of-sound vibe throughout.
#23 It isn't anything special, just a decent pop-rock album with a few songs that were inescapable when this album was new. I really don't think it is a "must-hear" album, but at the same time it wasn't a difficult album to sit through.
I just don’t like KOL
I saw them twice in concert. I like their older stuff more, but hey I like some good arena rock too. This album has some bangers on it even if I'd be good never hearing some of them again like Sex on Fire and 17. I'd add Use Somebody to that list too because I heard it way more often than I wanted to, but I do actually think it's a really good song. My faves are probably Closer, Manhattan, Revelry, and Notion. I have lots of nostalgia with Kings of Leon's music. I don't think they're among the greatest ever bands, but this album in particular had some huge hits and I generally think they get hated on more than they deserve.
pior q eu curti..
It’s really not great. But this project has really worn me down this week with some stuff I really didn’t enjoy. So this, while weak, is going to get three stars just for not making me actively angry that I have to listen to it. In reality it is probably 2.5 at best. They could use a new vocalist. And I get that bands have signature sounds but man, these songs are all VERY similar.
Favourite songs: Sex On Fire, Use Somebody, Be Somebody
They have another on this list?! The radio hits are fun. But like... come on.
Not a huge KOL fan but this was ok.
i expected more
Meh
Honestly kind of a weird record. Sounds like if The Strokes had the singer from Drive-By Truckers. Lyrically not great and the vocals don't always gel but the big hits work for a reason. Shocked to say I quite like it
I love these guys, 3 brothers and their cousin on drums - who are now in their mid 40s!? - I saw them like 20yrs ago at the Garden and they tore it up, it was fantastic. Original distinctive sound, fantastic lead voice (love his voice) and great songs - fantastic album. Esp tracks 3,5 & 6.
This feels like chronic loneliness. It sits quietly in every song, creating a tension and pressure that shows up in my chest. A slight sinking feeling. Detached.
The Southern Strokes jumped the shark and became REO Speedwagon with this outing. It took Bono 20 years to become a banal lyricist of the highest order. These guys made it in just over 5. If you write about nothing but sing it to the rafters maybe no one will notice - in fact people might even sing along - which they did. So what the hell do I know.
An utterly hollow, corporate stadium rock cash in. It completely strips away any interesting Southern rock friction the band used to have in favor of sanitized, repetitive choruses designed for commercial radio. There is absolutely zero depth, zero musical risk, and zero value here for anyone who craves complex or authentic arrangements.
i don’t get what is gained listening to this full album versus hearing the big hits. anyone who was alive and had access to a radio anytime after 2005 knows these songs. album is okay
CHOM/10
I love KOL. And there are some good songs on this album
Muy melancólico. Huele a smegma y a un "no te puto pilles". Muy de su época, supongo.
i love it they have something closer is drugs
> the Beatles The streak of these final 10 being all bangers continues. That said, I've never listened to this album in full and it's fantastic
not three kings of leon albums 😭😭😭
Pretty bland, obviously a couple of big radio hits on here but nothing got me particularly excited
This sex is on firrrrrrreeee! That’s a good song, but the rest is just lesser versions of that.
Good songs gs
no
My collar's blue but my neck is red. Been workin' real hard tryin' to keep my family feddd
these guys love u2! sex on fire is a good song. cold desert is a pretty good closer. the rest is weak as fuck (drums sound so bad throughout) and i just don't like the singer's voice. not as bad as i thought it would be but ugh
no. fuck no. motherfucker. fuck you. i hate the english. 2. proto greta van fleet. "Y'All2" - ian cohen. "people who listen to 'dear alcohol' by dax" music - me.
2.5 stars. I don’t get why Kings of Leon is on this list once, let alone twice. Sex Is On Fire and Use Somebody were popular enough when they came out, but I wouldn’t call this an album you should listen to.
I did not dislike this as much as the previous Kings of Leon album. But I still did not like it. I just do not like the vocals.
cannot ignore the catchiness of this album. solid despite its very obvious shift in tone to make that paper
Although I don't like this band or this album, and I don't like to admit it, this album is one of the best rock albums of the 2000s. "Use Somebody" is one of the most easily recognizable songs from that era, even for those who aren't music fans. 5 stars
This album was championed by lots of my GCSE students as a source of pieces to perform and be assessed playing on the guitar and in groups. 'Sex on Fire' and 'Use somebody' were very popular hits of the time. The lead vocalist has a distinctive voice and, although the blues and Americana edges were getting blunted by a push to a mainstream alternative rock sound. It starts well enough but, to my ears, never reaches the uplifting levels that great rock music can and the guitars can be a little more 'active' in places. Having said all that, when Mumford and sons went 'electric' it was this band upon which they modelled their approach. It's perfectly fine.
3&4 were absolute bangers. Started off slow but as the album continues it got better. At first i thought I wasn't going to like it but I have to admit it was a great album
Some certified childhood classic on this album. I've always been an avid listener of these kind of 2000s alt rock albums, but I never really checked this one out entirely. The vocals really stood out to me, mainly because I can hear that southern accent coming through on most of these tracks. Overall I'd say the album is good. The two best tracks on the album are obviously Use Somebody and Sex On Fire.
First Listen: Already familiar with Closer. Love the eerie vibe they create, the massive, roomy, drums, and the crescendo towards the end. Outside of this song, I only know Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, so I'm interested to hear the rest of the album. Crawl's fuzzy bass is cool but this might be the most truck commercial music I've heard in a while. Sex is on Fire is kinda dumb. Probably my least favourite from the songs I heard beforehand. I do really love Use Sombody, especially the breakdown in the second verse. The oowaooo chorus does feel like an YA movie adaptation song. Manhattan has a nice break from the in your face punch that were the opening four. I wish the lead singing could bring it down a bit, little but of an Imagine Dragons scream effect with this guy, but I still mostly enjoy the song. The bass is doing some cool things, and the drums got a cool latin rhythm. I don't know if it's the production, mixing, or mastering, or all of the above, but I really wish the slower cuts could breathe a little bit. Every thing feels in your face, and it takes away from a song that would otherwise be a nice cut. 17 is exactly what I was afraid it'd be about. Also, musically, the worst so far. Fuck the church bells YAAYYY SHES 18 NOW!!! Drake type beat. Oh I think ive heard Notion before as well. I might be crazy but this kind of reminds me of early Arcade Fire. The bass playing on this album is consistently doing something creative, while serving the song. I Want You is a slog to get through. I like tracks that stay in the same place dynamically, but the melody/instrumentation/vibe doesn't earn that. I'm a sucker for tom grooves. All the tension they built up in the verse was thrown away with that fuckass chorus. It's like the stuck two unfinished songs together. Unlike I Want You, Be Somebody could've sat in that tom groove for a while and still have been a solid, tense song. Cold Desert is a nice closer. OVERALL: I didn't really enjoy the bulk of this album outside of the singles and maybe one or two tracks. I think they're at their best when building tension, but as to whether or not they pay it off in a satisfying way is another question. The mid-2000s squashed mastering takes away from what would be really nice slower tracks. Probably won't come back to it in full. 5/10 T3: Closer, Crawl, Use Somebody
Not familiar with Kings of Leon. First listen. Immediately liking the opening track 'Opening' with 'Crawl' offering a very "crunchy" continuous static riff with the instrumentals. 'Sex on Fire' is suuuuuuuper good. Two's two's my word crodie it's good good. I think it's their most popular song? I can see why. Really liked the *liveliness of the song. Holy smokes, 'Use Somebody' is going to be, no doubt, my favourite. Loved hearing the *off-distance vocal cuts in the song. Hitting all the right buttons for me. Evokes this rousing feeling while listening. Building up this slow and steady excitement I guess. It helps that I heard this song before in the past. 'Manhattan' has a nice, repeating, guitar riff I really enjoyed. The following songs are really to my liking; a little too slow for my taste with the exception(s) of '17' having a great exit to it's track and 'Notion' having a great piano separation that I appreciate. One consistent element I find myself praising the album is Caleb's vocals. I don't think there's a single track where I wasn't pleased by his performance. Also didn't know the band were all family which is cool. I do think the first half of the album I did appreciate and enjoyed more than the later half. Again, Caleb's vocal performance kept me engaged despite that. All in all, the vocal performance kept me interested and the first half absolutely smacks. T3: Use Somebody, Sex on Fire, Crawl
Ugh. I'll give it a chance I guess. I hate Sex on Fire. I hate Use Somebody. I haven't heard the rest. Some good songs but some real stinkers too, and I don't like his voice at all. 2/5.
Some pretty good tracks, but overall a bit underwhelming.
The music is fine. The instrumentation and arrangements are also fine! The singer and the lyrics leave me ambivalent to the album as a whole.
4/5
Great guitar album
what did he mean by your sex is on fire
solid, middle of the road, background rock 👍
I find it hard to really judge this on it's own merits because I love the first two albums. This is such a departure, in a negative sense, and I really don't like it.
Some good tracks. But a bit soft for my taste feels like the music they play at Macy’s.
Actually enjoyed the deep cuts. The hits are so overplayed
Some bangers obviously (Sex is on fire is just iconic) but overall the album didn’t wow me. Pleasant enough listen but some of the songs were a bit same-y to me
My first reaction on seeing today's album was "ugh". I don't really care for Kings of Leon, mainly because I once had a downstairs neighbour that would loudly play Sex on Fire OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER again for the entire year I lived above her. While I didn't hate this listen anything even remotely close to that year's experience, it still didn't really do anything to endear me to Kings of Leon. It's paint-by-numbers for rock music.
Muy buen disco, solo conocía Sex on Fire, pero me ha sorprendido la banda
This is one of THREE KoL records on this list. I would love to have a chat with the person who said, yup, everyone on earth must hear these three KoL records before they shuffle off to Buffalo. This is AI generated music before AI. A paint by numbers “70s rock” album. It was definitely the soundtrack of 1000 dentist’s offices in 2009. If beige had a sound, it would be KoL
Aggressively mediocre
Sex on Fire is so good. Too bad about everything else.
KOL gets 3 albums!? I'm honestly shocked by that. I like them but they don't exactly scream 3 albums on a list like this. Anyways this is probably the weakest of the three. Those first two albums had the Southern Rock thing that gets almost fazed out here. "Use Somebody" and "Sex on Fire" are the big radio hits and they are decent at that but the rest of it is just this more straight line, almost arena, rock sound that really strips the band of what made them special. Also a song about a seventeen year old!? In the year of our lord 2008!? 5/10
Didn't mind that.
A lot of really good songs. Generally a good listening experience 3.5
Having only heard the singles, I was surprised by the quality of the rest of the songs on this album. Reading the reviews, there was someone who said the band used every trick in the book to build tension, and I wish I hadn't read that, because now I can't un-hear it. It's not going to sway my opinion, but they're right; there is some pretty formulaic songwriting happening here. One of the things I usually take note of are bass-forward mixes because that seems to be so rare in rock. Well done here, and kudos to the bassist for being so good they want you out front ⭐⭐⭐.51
2,5. as músicas quase todas iguais, but nostalgia doesn't let me be a complete hater porque a liz criança adorava use somebody.
Tosco e brega. Década de 2000 pode ser considerada os blunder years do Rock. Muita coisa boa saiu desse período, eu suponho, como a ressurreição do post punk, mas muito lixo saiu nesse tempo também, em álbuns como esse aqui. Essa sonoridade de comercial do novo Chevrolet Cruze me incomoda profundamente. Tudo soa tão vazio e superficial. Canções emotivas cantadas por uma voz incapaz de expressar qualquer emoção que não seja Burger e Fritas feitas por um barbudo que usa luva preta e tem os braços todos tatuados no estilo old school. Você tem uma crush na Zooey Deschanel? Que foda cara! 1/5
They were fairly enjoyable when they were cosplaying as Creedence Clearwater Revival on the first album and even a bit on the second album but this is absolute trash. “YEAAAAHHHH HAAAUUUUUGGHHHH YO SEX IS ON FIIIIIYAAAAHHH” Sadly, it turned out his sex was not on fire.
Radiohitti Sex on Fire oli selkeä huippukohta. Muuten ihan perushyvä ok.
Det va akkurat som forventa, det.
easy listening solid throughout a few hits. a bit of a gimmick on vocals but not distracting
It's a good album, but in my opinion, it's only because of the first 5 songs. The rest of the songs are average.
Pretty okay album — most of the songs are solid, average 2000s rock songs but I must say that Sex on Fire and Use Somebody are absolute bangers
4/5 Jotkut todella hyviä mut jotku ihan paskoja ja mietin vaan että mitä vittua tässäkin on ajateltu. Alussa todella hyvä mutta loppua kohden huononee rajusti
This sounds so generic.. and i think it feels generic because just alternative pop and rock is so overused in media that i associate it with that
i finally got to listen to more songs from the same record on which hits „sex on fire” and „use somebody” are. and while these two will probably remain my favorites on the album (at least for now), i enjoyed vast majority of the songs, especially „manhattan”. i was surprised with how vulnerable this album got. i also want to highlight how the title of the record perfectly corresponds with its themes. this may sound a bit cliché but this album literally felt like how a night out feels when you’re far from being okay, when the realization hits that you are unable to handle some things and you suddenly understand the fragility of one’s life. i’ve had multiple nights that felt like this and the production on this record expresses really nicely how deeply rooted some desires can be. at least that’s my take away from it. i gotta give it as well to the voice of the main singer that perfectly expressed all these emotions - at times it sounded very desperate even, which i personally always love
Tiene canciones main chsrachter
the infamous "Use Somebody" gets me thinking of the meme every time immediately. either way, the album was pretty bland and repetitive and I'm not sure what the track "17" truly means; I'm pretty worried about it.
Nothing special
praticamente 0 redeeming qualities
I used to rather like this album but it's really not doing a lot for me today which is strange.
Perfectly listenable, occasionally stirring — but in the context of the 1001 Albums list, it’s hard not to think of many records more deserving of the slot.
Ah finally, it all comes together for Kings of Leon. 2 monster hits that I heard a lot growing up. I'm glad their singer finally went to get vocal training because he sounds way better. He gives a great emotional performance on these and I think that's what really help drive these songs to be as good as they are. The instrumentation is also tight, and well placed everywhere. Didn't expect to end up giving Kings of Leon a 5, but I really connected to this even if a couple forgettable songs appear in the 2nd half
boring
"Closer" is a great song.
I love this,.might just be me but 5 star all day
One of the gratest rock albums of the history.
Kings of Leon hit absolute peak form with this huge rock masterpiece that effortlessly balances gritty Southern garage roots with massive indie arena anthems. Every single song feels incredibly cinematic, driven by raw vocals and soaring guitar hooks. It is an unforgettable album that completely earned its classic status and five star rating now.
La voz es increíble. Me encantó el álbum, lo estaré escuchando mucho
Kings of Leon are, most likely, the absolute fucking worst band in the known universe, lest it be found that there’s a band on goddamn Alpha Centauri that is, in fact, less listenable. They’re certainly the shittiest band on Earth, at least. And accordingly, this is one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard, indeed, probably the worst that the generator’s given me (… so far), and know, dear reader, that that’s no small feat. If I am to throw Kings of Leon a bone, it’s that they almost give me hope that I, one day, can make it big in the music industry, because I can easily make something better than this any day of the week. And this album, to it’s credit, also gives me perspective on what really good albums are like, with that being, more or less, them doing the exact opposite of what “Only by the Night” does. Since I cannot give an accurate description of the experience of listening to this album without devolving into screeching gibberish like a fucking monkey, I invite you to picture the following: Corporate bigwigs attempting to reconstruct the Strokes by just going off of Pitchfork reviews, and never actually listening to their music. Rule-abiding rebellion. The worst Mercury Award nominated band you’ve heard in your life: American edition. Christian rock if you removed all of the lyrics about Jesus, and, with great effort, replaced them with even more moronic ones. The music the type of guy who puts up a Confederate flag in public (including in states that weren’t Confederate/didn’t own slaves!) listens to. The heaviest song that your local Applebee’s store playlist would ever include. Your creepy high school gym teacher’s new “hard rock” band. Arctic Monkeys if they were the product of two cousins liking each other too much. Hillbilly Coldplay. Music for people who hate music. Put all of these together, and you have a close approximation of the inhumane torture session, that is “Only by the Night”. If I could give this 0 stars, I would. If I could give this negative stars, I would. I suppose until then, a 1/5 will suffice. And the worst part is, on the generator, there are TWO MORE FUCKING KINGS OF LEON ALBUMS JESUS CHRIST FUCKING KILL ME.
Really solid album. Almost too mainstream feeling given how overplayed the singles were but the b sides are lesser known tracks still feel really authentic. Love the vocals. Just enough grit to notice it's there.
Were these guys ever influential, relevant, or important enough to even warrant 1 entry in a list of 1001 albums to hear before you die? I mean they got tons of radio play, the singles were unavoidable for a year or two after they were released, but they always just felt like a derivative, general rock band. A bit like a bluesy U2 or a watered down and poppier White Stripes. They're not a bad band, they just don't really bring anything special to the table.
This was really cool. I was aware of some of this in passing but didn’t pay a whole lot of attention at the time of its release. I’ll for sure be revisiting.
This thing was so overplayed when it came out which probably contributes to me not liking it as much. There’s some really interesting sounds and production, and at times even unpredictable songwriting. But I could never get past Caleb’s vocal style and never thought it fit the music. Half the time he’s either close to squawking and the other half he sounds like he’s about to breakdown and bawl.
Did this album turn these guys into assholes, or was it just when we all realized it? Big successful album, hard to deny Sex On Fire’s heat, but I could go three lifetimes without hearing Use Somebody again. I like the back half of this album better, personally.
Already have this one in rotation. Certainly some solid hits on here but one of the things I like about Kings of Leon is their albums usually don’t have e any filler and a solid listen front to back.
My father-in-law had a Harley and Sex on Fire was on his "HD" playlist. HD = Hard Driving. Sometimes he would casually sing the song around the house. Anyways, I had to overcome this memory and the fact that many songs on this album were played into oblivion to acknowledge this is a pretty solid album. Yuge at the time. Yea, hardcore fans will say they sold out with this album. Whatever, it is pretty solid. 3.75/5
I respect the effort here, which I realize is not a promising first line of any review. Caleb Followill is trying to do something incredibly difficult, which is write an honest-to-God Tomcat Rock Album - a *Back in Black* or a *Destroyer* or a *Double Vision* - within the strictures of 2000s indie-adjacent rock, complete with his very own "Christine Sixteen" ("17," which I guess counts as progress if the age of dubious consent is inching upward) and his own "Hot Blooded" ("Sex on Fire," which belongs in the starting five of the Came Up With The Title First And The Song Second All-Stars). And yeah, the more I think about it the more Foreigner feels like the right comparison, not just in terms of intent but execution; this band, like that one, aspires to poetry but has always really been less about generating meaning through lyrical content and more about locating transcendent sonic moments. Thing is, Followill doesn't have anything the caliber of Lou Gramm's voice to work with, so the star instead has to be his brother Matthew's guitar tones, which are way better than you realize if, as I suspect may be the case, you've only ever heard these songs on the car radio or over the PA at Target. But all that said, the fit between all the swnging-dick lyrics and the fundamentally anti-macho structures of this era of indie is always at least a little awkward to my ears, like they're using the wrong tool for the wrong job. I liked it more than I expected but I still don't quite get it, and I'm not sure there's really all that much to get.
good album I remember this mid 2010's music from when I was young and it really gives me some nostalgia for music I didn't like at the moment.
Liked it! Stand-outs - Closer - Revelry - 17
There’s a lot to like about this album, and I can see why people rate them, newish band for me
Feel like I've been sleeping on the kings of Leon. So good!! Like perfectly balanced emotion and getting you pumped
Iconic singles and boring filler songs.
I remember this one!!
I have a lot of childhood fondness for this album and know the whole tracklist front to back, basically. They were HUGE Down Under back in the day. It's pretty good, and I do like the music a lot, but from a more objective perspective it's not particularly great and meaningful music that'll push boundaries and tear at the heartstrings. I think the introduction of electronic elements to rock that was all the rage in 2008 doesn't really suit this album all that well and they would have been better off leaning into that almost QotSA sound they sometimes get close to. But then if that were the case we probably wouldn't be talking about them, would we? fav tracks: Closer, Sex On Fire, Crawl, Use Somebody
ни о чём
it’s ok but boring
I remember judging people for liking this album because I thought it was too commercial and the older stuff, which the pathetic little slugs didn’t even know, was better. I’ve got over myself.
Don't like his voice.
Amphitheatric
It was on track for a 4 but the last few tracks weren't so good
Decent rock elevated by outstanding vocals. Favorite track: Use Somebody
No Harry Belafonte, no Tool, a huge lack of Blues and Jazz, WAY to much electronica, and this album. It's not even that it's bad. It's not offensive like some of the more odd albums on the list. This album is just there, taking up space. It's lawnmower music for Dads that want "rock" that they don't want to listen to. They just want music to be on when doing yardwork or fucking around in the garage. It's forgettable. I know because I thought I hadn't heard this before and hit the stupid Sex on Fire song that was everywhere and realized I've heard this entire album and forgot about it. It's fine, just shouldn't be on the list.
Put this right up there with U2, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, etc. I mean, the musicianship is fine, but it's just so bland and inoffensive. Stuff that can be easily inserted into TV, Movies, Sports Events and it just blends into the background. I will never ask to put this on and will likely ask someone to change the station.
I've always almost liked Kings of Leon, but not quite. I should like them lots, they do a lot of things I usually love and I could never figure out why it didn't click with them. Listening to this I realised, the singer picks one vocal melody per song, and refuses to deviate from it, at all. There's no variety in each song. It's really very annoying. It makes each song feel like something's missing, like nobody finished writing it, leaving a 'that'll do' friday afternoon. early knocking-off feeling. Most frustrating.
Ho hum 2
I like this album and them!
KOL are catchy, but in way that makes me feel like I'm somehow being tricked, if that makes sense?
You could not escape this album when it came out it was everywhere liked it then not as much now
This was great. I only know the couple Kings of Leon songs that were radio hits (and I liked them), but the rest of these songs had the same laid back yet rockin' vibe that I associate with them. I loved this album and listened to it twice. Five stars.
Not a big fan. Used to love them back in 2008. But this album isn't a favourite. Two good songs at Best.
This is music for chain smoking nurses to put on when they're pregaming a Disturbed show with their cop husbands. Completely uninspired musically and vocally cloying and phony sounding. These riffs have been written 1000 times by 1000 better bands who decided to throw them out because they were tired before they even became a song.
Sleeping these days.
In a nutshell: the best that bland can get. Overall: 1/10
The instrumentals are...ok. the lyrics and the voice are unlistenable, it gave me an headache
Sex on fire y use somebody ya las había escuchado lo demás es bueno igual pero esas dos son las mejores
Nostalgia
This album is where KOL and I parted company back in the day. Edgy as a satsuma, firmly formulated to fill arenas full of teenage girls, shame that they fell off so sharply after 3 great albums but you can’t blame them for wanting to be successful. 2.3
This album was where I got off with The Kings Of Leon. Loved the first three records and was pretty disappointed when they shifted to this more commercial sound. Sex on Fire was everywhere for ages, and not in a good way. More like in the 'everyone in my platoon has crabs' kind of way. 1.9/5.
Its ok. I think most fans of early KoL agree that this was the point that they changed into a different beast and gained a lot of new fans but lost a few old ones. There are still some good tracks but it doesn't have the vibe that made them appealing in the first place. And no one needs to hear sex on fire again ever.
A few of these songs were everywhere back in the day, so it's fun to hear once it a while, even if it is while a dental hygienist is scraping away at your teeth.
Bemoaning their move away from their old sound while reflexively singing along to Sex on Fire. The duality of man.
Yes I did listen but it didn't leave a lasting impression. I mostly found myself recognising the big hits: Use Somebody, Revelry and, to a lesser extent, Sex on Fire, which was utterly ubiquitous back in the day.
Highlights: Crawl, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody I didn't expect a lot from this record since I have a pretty solid belief that this is just airtime friendly slop music. The notion was correct, as it was quite a challenge to get to the end of the record. It wasn't so terrible as it was just mid and unamusing. It's very two dimensional and cheap. Not worthy of being amongst the "essential" records. Yeah, it has famous singles, but it's veeeeeery meh. Especially after it shoots its load in the beginning and starts crawling towards the ending. And holy moly was that a disgusting transition from Use Somebody to Manhattan... Who does that?
Two of KoL’s biggest hit carry Only By The Night. With the opening track, Closer you get a decent threefer. The other songs are OK, just song pretty similar. L = (2.0*s) One point for each radio hit, that actually sound the same. J = (2.9*s) These four brothers are eventually gonna have a decent greatest hits album.
Huge album with a few huge tracks that were played everywhere when this hit the scene. This is a powerful record and I like it more today then when it was released. Caleb really comes into his own and defines his vocal prowess at this point. He got a certain anguish in his voice that resonates and pairs well with the band's bluesy alt-rock sound. "Sex On Fire" became the gay anthem and I happened to be in SF visiting croissant tomorrow when the song was at it's peak. Could not escape it. Best tracks for me this go around however are "Crawl" followed by "I Want You." Maybe cause "Sex On Fire" and "Use Somebody" were so over played (still greats though). I been impressed with the Kings so far with what has made the list. They prove their titles and reign over the masses with this well crafted album...3.83 stars.
Kings of Leon had a steady climb through their first couple years and albums. While the prior album Because Of The Times was a solid release, Only By The Night is where they really put it all together. Always liked this album and for a spell while I was in college I felt like the Kings were everywhere. Rightfully so as this album is a true force from start to finish. It features a couple extremely popular hits that still sound great nowadays and a handful of very solid accompaniment from all the deep cuts. You can rattle off any of the hits as crowd pleasers but Manhattan was the track that resonated with me the most this time around. I always appreciated this album, but this listen really cemented how good it is. You can hear the growth in Kings of Leon from all facets as they really refined their southern sound but made it all the more accessible to the masses on this one. A very deserving entry in all ways. 3.92 stars
Some solid rock and roll. I enjoyed the whole album.
insane nostalgia for me
3.5 really
Those vocals. Dayum. Of course I was familiar with Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, but the whole album was excellent, and now I’m obligated to go through their whole catalog.
some good songs. bought this album back then because it was cheap.
IK WIL SEKS MET DIE KALEEEEEE Less offensive than the last one, but boring.
WOOOOOO IK WIL SEKS MET DIE KAAALEEE ja dat. waarom staan er meerdere kings of leon albums in deze lijst.
Some songs were surprisingly good.
Not a bad track. Love the drumming. Can’t fault it- has its own sound and definitely original, great album.
Pretty good
If the opening track wasn't so good this would be closer to a 1 star.
ka iwie iconic aber auch repetetiv? mag seine stimme auch nicht so gerne aber vibes auch iwie??
tatsächlich sehr gut
I listened to the first two albums when they were the southern Baptist strokes, but was only really familiar with the singles from this album when they turned into sexy U2. It’s fine, fairly inoffensive early 2000s pop rock. The vocals make it stand out as there’s a real grit to the voice but this is not revolutionary
Never latched on to this band as a fan. There’s definitely some good songs. The lead singers voice gets on my nerves after a while
Great album that came in a good moment for music, it's energetic, soft and great to listen to.
seems this is a real popular band. Just mediocre. Good rock, but just may be bothered by the over-hype.
Alternative songs were often said to be sung in the key of "AR" as a method of describing the swallowed and growly approach to vocalizing some bands took at the time (STP, AIC, et al.). I don't know what key Kings of Leon sing in but it runs me wrong somehow? Too arch?
5 sterne
I get why this is on the list but it’s like watching the Ant Man movies
Not a huge fan of the vocals.
Me I like that album.
7/10
I have no words for how immediately this album put me into a fight or flight situation. It REEKS of axe body spray, chevron print fabric, gladiator sandals, and side bangs. I *can't* hang. I just can't. I was going to compare this to the music I hate the most on this album - sad boy British moaning and groaning (Rock? Post-punk? Whatever) - but this is immeasurably worse. I've come so close to ripping the headphones from my ears and ragequitting. I think the visceral response is due to the fact that I lived through 2008 a fully conscious human being, as opposed to having to hear about the so-called "greats" of decades long past. Girl, this is hot ass. I wonder if haters of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and all their ilk felt this way both during the peak of their careers and having to hear their music coincidentally, long after they've become irrelevant. I'm considering visiting elderly care homes and shaking their residents' hands for being so brave. There were a few people here that referred to Steely Dan as "mall music" and I cannot fathom why when this is the most mall ass music of all time. Listen to this! With your ears! Please! It's so beyond basic it engenders anger in people! (People is me.) I think we all know this list is predominantly just "Dimery's Favorite Tunes" that he wants to subject us to, but this one - I can't imagine it's on this list for anything more than "oh, those two songs were in the public consciousness/commercials for a few years". Every other week I threaten that it's on sight with this dude. But today, I swear I mean it. I look forward to the day another album grinds my gears like this, but I'm praying I get at least a week of peace until then. Tracks that triggered me the most: Sex on Fire, Use Somebody.
Oh my g-d this is abysmal dogshit. Banal, muddy vocals and instrumentation. The most generic late 2000s pop rock I can imagine. I would have went wild for this in 2008 but the fact that this occupies the same list as albums like SZA’s CTRL and Miles Davis In A Silent Way is a crime. How this is on here but not a single MF DOOM album is a bigger one. Knowing there’s more kings of Leon on the way is the biggest.
Shallow, insubstantial, and you really have to like the singer's voice; I don't. This is another one of those albums that nobody will remember, just like the singles, even if they were once successful. I'd never heard "Sex On Fire" before, and that says something. Okay, Kings of Leon aren't my favorite bands, but fine, there's much worse garbage out there. So, 1.5 stars, no, definitely not two (even though it says so here).
De twee eerdere albums van Kings of Leon die in deze lijst stonden gaf ik hoge cijfers, maar dit album vind ik wat minder. "Als ik €25,- zou kunnen betalen om nooit meer Sex on Fire of de Hollandse variant ervan te hoeven horen dan zou ik het meteen doen" typte ik bij het eerste album dat ik van ze kreeg en daar sta ik nog steeds achter. Toch is het geen verschrikkelijk album, al is het me (zeker vergeleken met die twee andere albums) allemaal wat teveel bewerkt. Tegelijkertijd is dit wel het album dat de schoorsteen lekker laat roken bij die mannen, dus geef ze eens ongelijk. Ik ga ondanks alles voor een 3,5 afgerond naar 4 sterren, omdat ik de afgelopen dagen bijzonder weinig plezier heb gehad van deze generator en dan is dit toch wel prettig.
Ugh! Like a soft chewy apple, it strongly disagrees with me.
His singing style is too grating and 'swingy' for my ears but I do like certain parts of the instrumentation. Not bad, not good overall.
Being a middle age guy and standing in the kitchen and having coffee this morning with my wife of 20 years while Sex on Fire is playing is the height of irony. I was barely competent in the sack when I was in my prime, now the only thing on fire is my lower back pain. I'd be laughing right now if it wasn't so damn depressing. Like my last Kings of Leon album, it's much better later in the day. This cats vocals pre coffee are a no go for me, but it's all good this evening. Jared Followill is a badass bass player. Very tasty bass lines and the highlight of this album in my opinion.
Great, now Use Somebody will be stuck in my head for the next 48 hours.
28/03/2026 1. closer - okay... nice drums. spooky? jesus christ just remembered what his voice sounded like on the other album i had to listen to ages ago..... like the droney guitar. alright. *2. crawl - like the start! nice. reaaally nice bass. like the guitar towards the end. 3. sex on fire - just a bit overplayed really! 4. use somebody - his voice is a bit annoying... do like towards the end a bit more. very millenial. 5. manhattan - like the slide guitar(?). softer vibe... he just started singing, i take it back :( 6. revelry - not looking forward to this one... one of the worst things i've ever heard. bass is admittedly nice and it is getting better as it goes on. still wouldn't listen to it. 7. 17 - like the church bells sound at the start. what!!!! 8. notion - fine. wouldn't listen to again. 9. i want you - more atmospheric. nice bass. sooooo long! 10. be somebody - had a break.. really don't like his voice. like the bass in the chorus. 11. cold desert - not a fan! did not like this album at all!! the last kings of leon at least had some energy to keep it from being boring, but this was just shit!! waste of an hour!!!
This is the product of LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead Solid. 4 stars.
Very good album actually. The vocals are cool!
01) Closer - 10,0 02) Crawl - 9,5 03) Sex on Fire - 10,0 04) Use Somebody - 10,0 05) Manhattan - 10,0 06) Revelry - 10,0 07) 17 - 9,0 08) Notion - 10,0 09) I Want You - 9,0 10) Be Somebody - 9,0 11) Cold Desert - 9,5 TOTAL: 9,64 (96/100) Current ranking: 18/864 Fuck all the haters!
Fuck this boring dreck One song caught my attention For a bad reason
i feel like its rare that i listen to an album and find nothing of note other than the singles i already know ("sex on fire" and "use somebody" in this case). the shoegazey guitar solos of "cold desert" came through at the last moment to save this one from that fate, but only just. it's otherwise a fairly one-note experience, nothing that's especially bad musically but if you've heard the aforementioned singles you've heard the whole thing. mostly this just made me want to listen to foo fighters. or maybe even lostprophets, which i guess would be appropriate given what "17" is about. dont tell us about that shit dude.
I bet their liveshows whip, and this album has pristine production, but it is just so solidly mid-aughts radio that it doesn't do much for me. Respect for the droning and rhythmic guitar. Huge disrespect for "17." Another statutory alt-rock ballad, how groundbreaking. I found the opener "Closer" & the last two tracks "Be Somebody" and "Cold Desert" to be the closest to my speed, but even so, they washed over without doing anything interesting and pretty unimpressive lyrics. Well, maybe that weird fakeout fadeout at the last 2 minutes of runtime counts. But OK. 2 more of these KoL albums to go on this list for some insane reason.
#312/1001. What a load of crap.
I remember growing up as a teenager in 2008, getting really into rock music, and here came Kings of Leon breaking into the mainstream with two singles off of this record, "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody". I still enjoy these two songs despite the overplay, and it certainly proved enough to get into the Tennessee-based Southern rock group later in life. But here's the thing - for as much as the band finally had a breakthrough in their home country, they already had massive success over in the U.K., which is why there are three of their records in the 1001 Albums books. Lest we forget, Robert Dimery and his team are predominantly British, and they seem to love Kings of Leon over there. With all that said, how did it feel listening to Only by the Night? Well, I do consider this album good, but I'm not sure I would call it the best of what this band has done up to this point. I will touch upon this more when I get the other two Kings of Leon records later in my album journey, but basically, this band used to be a lot more raucous and energetic early on, with elements of garage rock in their sound. But around this album and its predecessor, Because of the Times, the band began to slow things down and embrace a more accessible, alternative rock style. Now, I'm not gonna knock a band for going in a different direction if it helps spark creativity, and there are at least a few cool ideas executed well here. The buzzing bass groove of "Crawl", the ramshackle acoustic guitar sway with the hazy reverb echoes of "Manhattan", Nathan Followill's punchy polyrhythmic beat alongside the arpeggiated guitars on "Revelry", there's even still some intensity left in the band at this point on cuts like "Notion" and "Be Somebody". Not to mention how emotive and powerful Caleb Followill can be as a frontman, or how crisp and biting the production from Angelo Patragalia is. I simply can't help but notice how slowed down the band had become, especially with the foreknowledge of their later records, because it doesn't pick back up here outside of some occasionally better melodic songwriting. Then there are the lyrics, which I'm also admittedly divided on. I certainly commend the band for trying to be a little more confrontational, with "Crawl" highlighting the regressive nature of American policy at the time, the persecution of Native Americans on "Manhattan", and even calling out their own fanbase for grievances on "Notion" and "Be Somebody". Even the self-confrontational muse on "Revelry" seemed rather potent, as Caleb reflected on his intoxicated behavior and looked to reconcile after the relationship faltered. Yet, at the same time, I can't help but feel like Kings of Leon now and then fall into some bad Southern rock tropes with their writing, particularly around women, without any swagger, bravado, or even a little humor to make it somewhat tolerable. There are moments where the earnestness in the lyrics can rub me the wrong way, like with "17," which is indeed about having feelings over a seventeen-year-old girl. One would think that writing songs about underage girls was a bad habit that we would have collectively stopped with the decline of glam metal in the 90s. I have similar issues with "I Want You", as the framing tries to imply reciprocating feelings between a girl and a guy even after the skeevy setup in the first verse and the caught sex tape in the second verse. I could see a track like this played up in a certain way, but the sincerity in the lyrics and delivery just left me feeling odd about it. At the end of the day, I'll still consider Only by the Night to be a decent record overall, despite a few misgivings. But I cannot deny that this is a point of no return for Kings of Leon, as their sound will continue to dilute after the success of this album.
I honestly feel like these songs would sound better if they weren’t trying so hard to sound like rock and roll. It’s adult contemporary music in a leather jacket. It has moments, but I overall didn’t like it.
Typical “nice guy” rock…you know, the guys who pretend to be deep and evolved but are actually kinda just pervy.
Esimene pool albumist on tõesti hea tänapäevane rokk. Teisel poolel veits vajub ära, aga ikka kuulatav kraam. See plaat natuke liiga palju kaldub Sob Rock territooriumile, terve see kõla on lihtsalt melanhoolne. Aga ühte albumit kannatab ikka kuulata. 3.7/5