Reviews (page 6 of 8)
interesting sounds and melodies. Soft grunge?
Tja. Het is echt niet slecht hoor. En er staan leuke hits op. Maar verder vind ik het ook niet bijzonder, en ook niet super fijn om naar te luisteren. Dus laten we het in het midden houden.
I'm not sure why I had to listen to this before I died, but it's fine to listen to.
I didn't hate it, but I really didn't like it, either.
So much better than other 3 star albums. But not as classic as the 4 stars. But it's good. But it also all sounds the same. And a bit boring. But still good.
All time favorite
kind of coldplay vibes. nothing bad and sometimes good but nothing super special
This is cool. Or whatever kids say these days that means "cool". Not superlative or cutting edge, but some interesting moments. I didn't mind listening.
I like guitars a lot, but vocals are just as irritating as I remembered
The 3 songs i like on here, i love. Really indifferent about the rest
Kings of Leon are a somewhat restless band. Debuting with a strong southern rock sound, their identity pivoted to a more palatable alternative rock identity. This would fluctuate with their southern rock roots, but their 2008 album Only By The Night would land on poppier alt rock that would end up defining radio rock for the next few years. Two bonafide hit singes, Use Somebody and Sex on Fire, followed by three less notable singles would make Only By The Night their most successful album by a longshot. The singles aren't bad. Use Somebody hones in a sort of U2 stadium rock that I tend not to like, but Sex On Fire has a decent driving force to make up for the things. Oddly enough, it's the less popular singles like Notion and Crawl that I remember more fondly from the radio. Pacing is good, it never sound egregious or obnoxious. It's a perfectly acceptable rock record with a few good tunes to boot.
That’s a weird one. So generic yet very fun. Couple of memorable songs without great parts and a couple of forgettable songs with great bits. 3 stars
Weak 3. The hit single isn't doing this album any favours unfortunately. But when that song is over and done with, there's a decent rock album there. But they do have better albums, if any of them deserves a spot on this list.
3.5 decent
Pretty good :) the songs are a bit static for my taste but the sound is still satisfactory
Better thank I thought it was gonna be with how watered down sex on fire is from the radio
I was suprised this one made the list but alright didnt mind listening to it
Already familiar "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" thanks to radio. Rest of album was good, but not great.
Yeah. Its alright. I've never really understood the appeal of this band. His voice is pleasingly distinctive. Some of it washes over me.3
it’s pretty good but i only gave imperial bedrooms a 4 so it gets a 3 because it’s not as good as imperial bedrooms (which really could’ve been a 5 since i gave f@$&in’ finley QUAYE a 4, i don’t know why, i was feeling generous that day)
Kinda mid
Pretty good
Solid.
Hlustaði aldrei markvisst á þetta þegar það var nýtt, en skellti mér samt á tónleika með þeim í Laugardalshöll 2015. Það voru leiðinlegir tónleikar, sumir eiga greinilega ekki að drekka bjór. En þessi plata er ágæt. Hún rennur útí miðjumoð er á líður en fyrrihlutinn er flottur.
This where King of Leon sold their souls to the florida man.
Average. Sex on Fire is good.
Sex On Fire, Notion
Good album
If you fit loads of energy into something the size of a barn, it will be buzzing. You spread that energy over something the size of a stadium, and it may be middling at best. That is what went wrong with the Kings of Leon.
Fully realized 2008 ‘alternative’ radio rock
Yep it’s the Kings of Leon alright
This is excellent stadium rock.
There was a summer that me and a couple of friends did a lot of cruising around in one of the guy's pickup truck. None of us were old enough to buy beer and it was a small town so there wasn't really much else to do but drive around, eat fast food and listen to whatever cassette the truck guy had in his tape deck. I'm sure we listened to more than one album but for whatever reason, the one I remember was Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears. It wasn't Ozzy's best album but it felt right that summer. Whatever the modern version of that summer is for kids today, this album feels like the modern equivalent, it contains what have to be Kings of Leon's biggest selling singles so far (I'm pretty confident, without looking at the numbers, Mama I'm Coming Home and No More Tears' title track were Ozzy's best sellers, with the help of MTV) and its a well produced, slightly psychedelic, mainstream rock album. Is my comparison a stretch? Quite possibly but my guy tells me I'm right. Anyone own this on cassette?
My first time listening to Kings of Leon. Great sound.
First time hearing the album. Standouts: Sex on Fire, Use Somebody Others: Crawl, Revelry, Notion, 17. 3.5
The opening to Sex on Fire made me physically cringe, so I guess I'm not over that song being everywhere. On the whole, not bad, but also why is this here? Best track: Idk. Cold Desert
First track is a nice intro. Sound not too varied throughout but it's pleasant. Enjoyed the last couple tracks.
This was a pretty good album. "Use Somebody" was one that I didn't know was them. "Closer" was a really good track. The rest is good enough to play the entire album again. However, I can see why these guys never became huge.
Have obviously heard some of the hits, and as a whole liked the album better than expected. However, I can't give this one more than 3/5 because Use Somebody has to be the most dead, dry, aimlessly written song that somehow radio stations still think people want to hear right now. I've been waiting a long time to say my piece about that fucking song and am glad I finally got a chance to do it
Disco de rock suave que, aunque no es malo, no me ha llamado especialmente la atención, quizás por la voz del cantante. Algún tema, muy reconocible. De las últimas hornadas de rock americano
Do I like this version of Kings of Leon better than the cowpunk, idie-Americana version of Youth and Young Manhood? I don't think so. Both have good songs but there's a looseness and lack of pretense with the earlier music that fits my aesthetic better. This is a review of this album and on this album they hit the mark on 3 or 4 tracks which is enough for me to give it 3.5 stars
Le sexe est en feu mais ne le sera jamais autant que celui de Bobby Womack.
Oui ok le sexe est en feu mais à part ça qu'avez vous de concret à nous proposer les rois lions au juste ??
Sigh. I guess it's not that bad but it's just the moment Kings of Leon got bad in my eyes. Sex on Fire is quite a shit song really. Use Somebody is fine but it's hard to enjoy these days as it was so overplayed back in the day.
Not to be vulgar, but sex would be ablaze if I were doing it to "Revelry". Entire house flattened. Everything else was, as I predicted, vanilla.
Closer - 3.5 Crawl - 3 Sex on fire - 2.5 Use somebody - 3 Manhattan - 3.5 Revelry - 4 17 - 3.5 Notion - 2 I want you - 3 Be somebody - 2 Cold desert - 2
B Closer 4 Crawl 3 Sex On Fire 4 Use Somebody 4 Manhattan 3 Revelry 3 17 4 Notion 4 I Want You 3 Be Somebody 3 Cold Desert 3 This was actually much better than I expected. It was pretty close to a 4. 17 was my favorite song.
Really surprised to see this band on here. I remember listening to a few of their songs when I was a kid and never would have painted them as a super influential or well-received band. This is an ok album. Nothing really screams that this is something that would belong on this list. "Use Somebody" was a huge song for a while, and still gets used in shitty TV. This kind of feels like a band that got bastardized by the music industry and Hollywood corporations. It's either that or they got fed up with all that and decided to make music that appealed to the band members instead of the music labels or whatever. This is a solid 3/5
Étonnamment not bad at all. Use somebody et sex on fire très connus sur cet album. J'ai bien aimé la première moitié, mais la 2ème un peu moins.
Fairly boring but some songs were quite good
This is a nicely crafted straight up rock album that is a solid listen, if not super memorable. Fave Songs: Use Somebody, Sex on Fire, Manhattan, Closer
It's a bit pompous and overblown but it also does an epic rock thing that gets pretty catchy. They're no guns and roses but it's still a 3/5.
This album had it’s moment and is still a good listen.
Maybe a 4.
It starts strong with the hits, but I think it loses steam by the end. This was when they began to sell out.
This was everywhere back in '08 and still holds up now as a decent play. Pretty good crossover rock album with some big singles. It does sound same-y at some points, but the music doesn't overstay its welcome.
mehhh
It has the important big hits, but is a bit too waily in a U2 style. Nonetheless not bad.
Kind of departed from the swamp rock into some almost Springsteen territory. I liked it but like the previous entry from this band found it a little middle-of-the-road alt-rock.
Started out promising - the first two tracks (Closer and Crawl) had a pretty cool sound. But then the rest of the album (including the "hits" that I'd never heard) got pretty generic 2000s-rock. Not bad or anything, just nothing I'd seek out again. It's removed from the 1001 albums books now, which was a good choice.
Meh. Some good songs but did not grab me and scream "Greatness!!".
ovo nisam čuo pun kurac, vratilo bi me u srednju, početak.
4/11, 36%
This Southern Rock album feels like biting into a big marshmallow: soft, sweet and easy to get through, but with almost nothing substantial to chew on. The guitars are drenched in reverb, the drums give the songs a broad arena-rock pulse, and Caleb Followill's raspy voice stretches everything into a slightly hazy, dramatic atmosphere. The songs often have the size and polish of something meant for a huge crowd, but underneath that oversized sound I keep finding surprisingly little to hold onto. Even when the guitars swell or the vocals become more emotional, the music remains soft and yielding rather than giving me anything with much weight. The result is a record that can sit comfortably in the background, but like a marshmallow, it dissolves quickly without leaving much behind.
A bit samey but nice.
I don't like this music.
No. No thank you. This hit about like a Coldplay album for me. How could someone so ok sounding be so boring? It's not quite a 1-star, but if rather not listen to it again.
I enjoy Sex on Fire and Use Somebody as much as the next millennial, but MAN is the rest of this album a bore. Just feels like generic “rock” without any excitement.
I had this album when it came out and was very disappointed with it after the previous album which I liked. It's just got too much sheen and verges on dull at times, and the two singles were egregiously overplayed. Time has made it less hateful though, in 2008 it would have gotten a 1
Me da mucha hueva la voz de este sujeto
Another 'how the fuck' moment as KoL have 3 albums on this list... each one becoming increasingly banal! I'll admit that I liked their debut at the time but it very quickly fell out of rotation and I don't think I've listened to it for about 20 years. Part of that, for sure, is because of what they very quickly became.... dull radio rock!
2.95, singer's voice irritated me more than I would've thought
This mostly sucks but the bass player sure hits some tasty grooves.
Fav: Closer L: I Want You 2 I don't like this fella's voice. When I went to look at the lyrics for 17 because I was like, "what did he just say?" the music stopped and youtube said you cant listen while reading the lyrics for music for kids. I don't know if it glitched out or what but that was a comedic song to do that on. Overall mostly just a bit bland but I think with a different singer I'd probably like it more. Cover: 3.5 Intriguing and I think matches the tone the album was going for. Name: 4.5 Solid name, glad it isn't one of the song titles. Fits the album decent.
Yknow I got to Sex on Fire and giving it a real shot I thought it was better than I remembered….Use Somebody was the antithesis of that, that song huffs farts. Rest of the album was a similar mixed bag, which is more than I was expecting tbh
I find this yelling style of singing annoying and the music bland. There was not a single point where this held my attention or rose above the level of background noise. This is the most mainstream of mainstream. If this is one of your favourite albums, it makes me wonder how many albums you have actually heard. Two stars for me is a mark of boredom, and one star active dislike. This is really skirting that border.
Kids! This is the soundtrack to the opening chapter of your dad’s midlife crisis. He’s not as fit as he used to be. He used to be cool and carefree (in his own mind) but now he’s stuck on the downhill slide of corporate middle management. This album is what he puts on to remember… Overall it’s so generic I feel like the songs have been used in tv ads but I can’t recall what. Maybe a mobile phone plan? Maybe it was a travel agent selling package holidays? Cheap precooked sausages? Who knows? Who cares? 2/5 meh’s
Removed, as one does with KoL. The goofiest thing about this goofy list is how they couldn't decide on a KoL album and after three tries concluded there shouldn't be one
this is like their joshua tree. it’s better but still largely uninteresting to me i like sex on fire
had another aggressively 2.5/5 kings of leon album yesterday, which i generously gave a 3. grateful for the opportunity to balance things out. don't fuck with me like this again, 1001
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.
This was horrendously dull besides a few exceptions
Te glad
Very generic, department store rock. All the songs kinda sound the same.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
It‘s Not mine
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.
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.
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.
A cautionary tale and a modern tragedy.
I missed this band moment.
What again? How much do we really care about these dudes?
Very not me. I just find the lead singer's voice super-annoying.
This does absolutely nothing for me.
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.
its just your average pop album
They have another on this list?! The radio hits are fun. But like... come on.
Meh
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.
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
Muy melancólico. Huele a smegma y a un "no te puto pilles". Muy de su época, supongo.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
what did he mean by your sex is on fire
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 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.
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
Sex on Fire is so good. Too bad about everything else.
2,5. as músicas quase todas iguais, but nostalgia doesn't let me be a complete hater porque a liz criança adorava use somebody.
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
boring
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.
ни о чём
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.
Ho hum 2
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.
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?
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.
If the opening track wasn't so good this would be closer to a 1 star.
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?
I get why this is on the list but it’s like watching the Ant Man movies
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).
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.
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.
Typical “nice guy” rock…you know, the guys who pretend to be deep and evolved but are actually kinda just pervy.
This didn’t age super well for me but I liked it when it came out. Still like Revelry.
I really enjoyed Kings of Leon's first album when it came out, but in listening to this one, which has a couple of massive hit songs, I can't help but feel it all sounds a bit dated. It was kind of a slog to get through.
This album was held up by the singles, nothing much else to see here except the off kilter boring first song or the off kilter quirky interesting closer. The singles are only just ok
eh fine. i don't really like his voice
Didn’t hate this one as much as I thought I would. 2.5
Groupe inconnu. Quelques morceaux sympa ('Crawl' et son riff de basse, 'Be somebody' plus dynamique, 'Manhattan'), mais rien de bien marquant par ailleurs. Les morceaux sont plutôt mous, j'ai fini par faire autre chose en gardant l'album en musique de fond. Pas sur d'avoir envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5
2.4 Today is a great day. Today is the last time I will ever willingly listen to Sex on Fire. God is great I am quite familiar with this album, I liked early KOL but its one of those bands I started to dislike once they became popular. Had the CD in the car but only really put it on because it was there and I didn't want to listen to the radio.
One or two good ones, the rest just didn't impress.
This is a band that had run it's race already but still churning out the same "middle of the road a bit indie a bit rocky" stuff. Sex On Fire has been played to death, and I'm done with this. Not necessarily bad, but just a band that overstayed their welcome.
There are the classics on this album that are good, as well as a couple of good ones I didn't know (Closer and Crawl). It's not amazing though and not something I would go back to. Strong 5/10
A few ok songs but nothing to give it a higher rank
Eh. I suppose this should be here. But there’s more interesting stuff released that year. 2.3 stars.
not completely soulless, but make no mistake, this is selling out
This has no business on this list
Natural evolution of dad rock
No one needs to hear Sex On Fire either for the first time or again before they die. This is mostly just fine if not kind of annoying in parts. Playlist track: Manhattan
I thought I would enjoy this more, but not so much.
These guys are the fucking worst ⭐️⭐️
KOL aren't a bad band, but with success comes expectation and pressure to churn out the hits. This album is what happens, middle of the road dirge which loses the edge and energy that made it cut through in the first place.
Ik heb al jaren Een kop zonder haren Ik ben ze verloren Heb ze afgeschoren. Net als een magneetje Meiden zeiden, Hoe heet je? Wat doe je vanavond? Ik wil je vanavond! (Zingen!) Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Cassiere's, agentes Van net achttien lente's Maar ook nonnen van tachtig Die vinden het prachtig Door kleintjes en grote Word ik nagefloten Ze willen maar één ding Roepen maar één ding (Één, twee, drie, vier) Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Het is ook wel logisch 't Is ook kaal waarvoor ik kies Ik wil daaronder Geen haar, geen gedonder 'k Heb geen zin in een oerwoud Een bosje is echt fout Ook ik wil geschoren Compleet kaal geschoren. (Kom op dan!) Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale (Springen!) Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale (Nog een keer!) Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Jeeeeheehoooooo Ik wil seks met die kale Jeeeeheehoooooo ik wil seks met die kale
I found the songs on "Only By The Night" to be, at times, over sentimental and pseudo-sophisticated. To be sure, the album has its bright spots: it features lots of good hooks and melodies, and the production quality is first-rate. It's just that so much "alternative" music from that era has long since become tiresome.
Much worse rock on the radio in the mid-aughts
Passable soft rock album from the 2000s. Until the song 17, hits. Just why?
All sounds the same. Bad love songs with messy lyrics.
Dull. Sex on Fire is overplayed but still a great song and you can see why it was such a hit. Opening track is also cool, but the rest of the album is just bland and hasn’t aged well
I mean ya some good songs but idk surprised it made it on this list
This 'decidedly not indie' album had so much airplay of it's middling singles that it's all just water off a duck's back. Sex on Fire stands out because despite being overplayed, it's still fun. The rest of the singles get progressively worse and a lot of the other tracks sound like filler to my uneducated ears... Probably most telling is that all 3 albums by the group have fallen out of the book version of the project.
Lotta songs about blowjobs on here.
Caught myself enjoying ‘Sex on Fire’ today, which I usually despise due to very poor drunk karaoke attempts and very mediocre singers in bars butchering it. It is actually an alright track when it’s performed by the guys who made it I suppose. It’s a pretty fun easy indie rock record, screams 2000’s. Doesn’t push any boundaries and isn’t at all experimental. That being said, it is a very enjoyable listen. The lyrics are intended to be your sing alongs classics and to potentially get more radio play is my guess. The guitar is very mellow and chilled, creates a nice ambient feeling to the record. The drumming does what it needs to do. The voice is pretty great, and I feel like the album was built around Caleb Followills voice. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it is amazing but we know from previous records that the rest of the band have good technical capabilities, it would’ve been nice to hear more from them on this record. Favourite tracks are: ‘Use Somebody’, ‘Revelry’, ‘Notion’, and ‘Be Somebody’.
So much music from the 2000s just feels so sterile. Use Somebody is quintessential “Target Rock”. It’s not bad, very un-offensive and safe, and it accompanies a walk through Target to find some nice throw pillows. Sex on Fire is a very overrated song. Very boring. A couple of the deeper cuts were kind of cool. I liked the opening track and the singers vocals. Manhattan was a cool vocal performance as well. But the whole record just kind of lacked an edge or something to make it stand out. Bumping down an extra star for how creepy a couple of the songs were. 2/5
Boring
Bland alt indie rock
I mean it’s leagues better than the other album by this band I got, but it’s still pretty average - this is around a 2.5/5 rounded down for me
The opening song Closer is very good, the next one is a bit of a Bullet the Blue Sky rip-off but it's catchy after that it's really just sub-U2/Coldplay snoozefest.
Transports me back to 2009, when I hated it. Not as bad of a listen as I was fearing but it is still tough to listen to it all, with so many overplayed tracks. Starts and finishes with nice tracks. 2.5.
This is the second or third Kings of Leon album I’ve listened to now. I think I’ve realized that while they play well I’m just not interested in their musical sensibility. I find it a bit dull
Fairly average 2000's indie rock album. Surprised I recognized a track on here, but there were other songs that sounded very similar to it. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again
Is the only reason this is here because of Use Somebody
meh, yup that's kol for ya
Meh. Nothing special. The singer's voice grew more and more annoying the longer the album went on. 3/10
I was fearing the worst here, so it could only end up being better than expected. Sex on fire is still an awful song that rock stations only play so they can say they also play modern rock. The other songs ranged from bad (17) to pretty enjoyable (the opener, Closer). It's not really bad music, but it's very milquetoast and wholly generic because of it. The singing is a bit hit or miss, it does work for some tracks. Not an album I'd listen to again, but I'd be lying if I called it one of the worst albums on here.
Just okay.
Overwrought late oughts rock. 1.5/5.0: Bad
One of these guys had something to do with the Nashville Food & Wine Festival. Weird.
2.5
Workmanlike
I can't say that I was crazy about this one. Kings of Leon are pretty dull all in all. It was so inoffensive that it almost became offensive. Listenable if nothing else.
This is #day453 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my final album from 2008. Pretty terrible year, judging by the selection on this list. Now, this... is an okay pop-rock album; at times, overly generic and radio-friendly, which makes me wonder again: is this the kind of music you need to hear before you die? Also, those vocals… What strikes me more is the fact that there are three fucking albums by this band on the list. Three. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day454.
Commercial music. Coldplay if they were as bad as people say they are
It’s not a “bad” record. I think for a casual listener, this scratches the itch of being unique enough to feel “indie” or “alternative” about your music taste. But, it’s… really an ok record. It’s got a few glossy production tricks, and a some interesting highs here and there (Crawl is SO close to being cool), but really, am I going to put this on again? Maybe if I need “something I can ignore”, as Rob Gordon once put it
This feels like something I should like, but I have this mental block with certain groups over things they can't necessarily help. These guys remind me a little of Mumford and Sons in that, with both, I find the lead singer's voice gratingly earnest in a way that feels arch, like he thinks he's hot shit. It's a turn off.
The epitome of "meh." I never understood why this blew up the way it did. Its arena-ready anthems are self-apparent, but the singer sounds half asleep and there just seems to be nothing differentiating these guys from a hundred other bands just like them.
Not as bad as their other album on this list, but not great by any stretch of the imagination. Loses a star for the creepy ass sing about underage girls.
Rock without any new ideas. Pleasant enough, but not vital to moving the craft of songwriting, the craft of production, or even the genre of rock forward. Best thing about this family band is the drumming and percussion of Nathan Followill. Favorite track: "I Want You" Honestly, after listening to more than 650 albums on this list I can say that the British music press has shit for taste. Not one of Kings of Leon albums belongs on this list. You booted Sting's Ten Summoner Tales for 1 more Kings of Leon album? Seriously?
I have always liked this album however 17 is so gross, point deducted for that.
Its fine. I didnt like it when it came out and I like it more now but not really all that much more. Feels over produced like alot of radio bs. The vocals I cant stand except when it gets a little country in the middle somewhere. I think that style is much more suited to this vocal technique. But still not that great. Sex is on fire is the only song worth much here and mostly for novelty and nostalgia to be honest. Use somebody still stinks like the first time I heard it. The ohs sound like they are coming out of a bar 2 blocks away. Its weird and not very pleasant. Its whatever though. Good enough to not make me angry but nothing more or less. Kinda unmemorable
Not a fan, song #2, crawl, is good, one more comma just cause.
I cannot decide if it’s a good or a bald album. For me It’s a mixed album. Half of it are catchy songs including the singles. Others are pretty forgettable songs. In general a regular album that can catch you at some moments.
It’s okay, I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either. Low 3, maybe a 2
Ah yes, the Kings of Leon. I remember when they were the Next Big Thing. I bought one of their albums but I don't think it was this one. (According to Google it was two albums before this one) and enjoyed it for about a year. I saw them at Bonnaroo one year and they were fine but it was memorable mainly for the power going out mid-song and they continued playing acoustically and finished the song. Of course I couldn't hear it from the roughly a mile away I was. As these guys got bigger (and then enormous) I was less interested in their sound. By the time this album came out I had moved on entirely. Anyway, let's see how I feel about this one in 2025... I remember hearing ABOUT "Sex On Fire" a lot back then but this song doesn't sound familiar to me. I guess I was really tuned out of popular music in 2008-09. "Use Somebody," however, did make its way to my ears quite a bit. (Funnily, though, I could have sworn the name of the song and what was sung in it was "Be Somebody," which is obviously incorrect but is the name of ANOTHER song on this album.) This is... OK, I guess. I liked "Notion." Some of these lyrics are creepy for a band of dudes in their late 20s, particularly "I Want You." I guess they were singing to their audience but it still sounds creepy to me.
Trallvänliga hitar men blir irriterande efter ett tag
Önskar att jag hade sluppit spendera tid på det här albumet.
Inte riktigt fattat grejen med detta gäng.
Yeah, just kinda bland. Like a piece of bread with nothing on it: it kills the hunger, but meh. It started kinda strong, but quickly faded into a mush of songs that you can't really tell when they end or begin. Even the hits are (now) overplayed and not very good, imo. You listen to it, but there are so many alternatives for "soft rock", why Kings of Leon?
I found it quite boring and safe
No need to rehash what’s already been said... this is boring, generic, and painfully bland. Hard to believe these ass clowns managed to have three albums on this list.
Mid level radio rock.
3 Kings of Leon records? As good as the rest of them.
Track 1: Closer - fine, but boring, slow start to album, grew on me by the second listen Track 2: Crawl - forgettable, pretty generic Track 3: Sex on fire - overplayed but great stadium song Track 4: Use somebody - ^ Track 5: Manhattan - again, grew on me on second listen but sounds like all the early tracks of this album, i like the baseline Track 6: Revelry - slightly stronger, more vulnerable Track 7: 17 - boring, not many opinions on this track Track 8: Notion - Track 9: I want you - slightly different to the other tracks, breaks it up a bit Track 10: Be somebody - starts picking up the tempo Track 11: Cold desert - fairly boring, very lyrically simple, weak end to an album Not very lyrically impressive, fairly solid album, most of the tracks are super similar, hard to comment on each track as they sound so similar. although 'Sex on fire' and 'use somebody' break it up, good stadium songs. Album starts picking up at the end slightly in tempo with 'I want you' and 'Be somebody' gave up commenting on each song halfway through as they all end up merging into one. would describe this album as safe and accessible. Quite hard to decide on a stand out track from this album, obviously Tracks 3 and 4 have been massive hits, Favourite song: 'Revelry' or 'I want you' After 2 listens, would rate 4.5/10 Album cover: more of a fan of the fractured green/owl cover than the red and back ink spot version. Both covers very evocative of 2008.
the hits are good but they're already overplayed for me, the rest is hard to listen to
We've all heard Sex On Fire and Use Somebody, but this isn't even this band's best album, let alone one I need to listen to before I die.
I knew the two songs from this album that were everywhere at the time. The back half of the album was a chore to get through.
his voice makes me want to cut 6 lanes without signaling
The opening track made my hope go up: Electronica mixed with rock with a southern raw voice? But then it went downhill. The songs make use of building up emotions without any actual idea. It’s paint by numbers. I never got Sex on Fire. Use Somebody is good. In Switzerland we say Göschenen-Airolo for something you hear but doesn’t stick - it’s a tunnel: The car goes in one end and comes out on the other and is happy to be out.
Went in skepitcal- this album confirmed my feelings. Not a big fan- the songs were a mish-mash of over emotional sappy ballads, but also musicially boring songs that seemed to go nowhere. Plus- the singer is often unintellible. Overall- not for me
Ok.
There is 0 fucking chance that this band needed 3 goddamn albums on the list. This is the best one of the three but god do I loathe this band.
This was middle of the road for me.
This really is the baseline for mediocrity. Even the top two tracks have reached the level of just annoying...
The band itself isn't bad... but his voice. Woof. Nails on a chalkboard.
Singles are alright but otherwise this feels derivative and boring.
just a whole lot of meh
It started quite well, and I thought that the lesser known songs ware as good as the hits. After having listened to the entire album, I'd say that's probably true but they're all not for me. What can I say, it's not BAD, but it's all a bit cliché American Rock Band. Very predictable. I don't like the voice and singing style (Use Some-bodeeaaa). So a harsh 2 it will be.
“Indie” rock bought and paid for by record label executives. Technically sound musicianship, well written songs and well produced. But not an ounce of soul anywhere on this album. I don’t look forward to hearing again the next time I visit a dentist’s waiting room.
Man, I just don’t care for this band.
Could’ve gone my whole life without listening to this tbh
Ha! Very surprised to see this on here...As much as I used to love this album, it certainly hasn't stood the test of time, nor does it stand out above the rest of really great music that came out around that time. He's got a right grating voice too doesn't he, that was quite a typical vocal quality circa 2010s. I still enjoy it, I'll happily listen to it, it's worth more than 2* but just not on this list.
Bloody awful. Silly old rock racket. Songs about Sex on Fire and shagging 17 year-olds make for painful listening.
yeah no
wydm this band has two songs with over a billion streams. theres no fucking way. ok i recognize one of the songs, but i've never heard sex on fire its just more mid alt rock get this bs outta here. can we ban rock artists from singing about 16-17 years olds. idc about the context im just sick of hearing it
This album was huge when I was first venturing into music, so some of the songs are very familiar to me. 17 years later, I can't say this is a "must listen" album.
Incredibly mid car commercial music. Though I'll admit I am not immune to Use Somebody.
Jump scared by Use Somebody, which I was absolutely not expecting. Who knew that was this band? (Apparently everyone alive in 2008, no idea what I was doing at the time) Just really, really not my scene
same review as i gave the first one, really. the 2010s alt rock sound is built here, and it's pretty good yet subsequently utterly ruined by caleb followill (about 17 year olds this time for some reason)
as someone who lived through the Use Somebody era of radio play, it's nice that he goes on to Be Somebody later in the album. i feel like i need to chase this with that one mumford and sons song, tbh. 1.5
The one where the edges were sanded off completely, and Sex On Fire lit the way to superstardom through lame and uninspiring stadium-rock mediocrity. Give me 'Aha Shake Heartbreak' anyday.
Затеряется среди сотен подобных. Плюс ещё голос противный
boring music for wedding bands
When it was first released, for some reason the Tennesseans' fourth album found more critical acclaim in the UK than in America. I guess that's not exactly a surprise, since Kings of Leon harbor a sound that an American deems pseudo-national whereas British yearning for some USA flavor would extract some genuineness: 'The reds and the whites and abused / The crucified USA.' But Caleb Followill is a talented soul-barer, even if he isn't all that interesting, and the band does know how to put together pop-rock singles. The best tracks are 'Manhattan' and 'I Want You,' the song I hate to like is 'Use Somebody,' while the worst are 'Sex on Fire' and '17.' If you want stellar southern rock tho, go dig some Alabama Shakes. 2.5/5.
Generic rock
Comes across as generic. I’m sure live they could put on a quality show. But just listening to this it feels like background music you hear at a dentist. 2/5
Rating: 5/10 Meh. Choice cut: Closer
Evocative of its era probably because you couldn’t escape it back in the day. Not listened to the whole album since then…says a lot I think. It’s the rock equivalent of empty calories. It’s not bad, but it just leaves me a bit cold. Something is missing…. Then of course you get to the hit singles. Its impossible to be objective about these tracks any more… I’ll happily leave it another 15 years before listening again!
Not into it.
Definitely at a loss. This has it's moments but but it wears off quickly.
Ok I suppose. I think I prefer old school KoL better. 2.5/5
Whatever kingdom these guys preside over, I never want to visit.
color me shocked, I was a little surprised that one Kings of Leon album made it, but two? If any, this one shouldve made the cut, IF. Its a lot of radio friendly rock, I remember being in University at the time this came out and not really caring for it then either. Use Somebody is good, I'll give them that, but a lot of their music is just too aggressive and harder than it needs to be, if that makes sense. Alright, now I'm bracing for a Hinder album on this list eventually.
Two Kings of Leon albums? TWO Kings of Leon albums? No albums by Real Estate, Tennis, The Weeknd, Cigarettes After Sex? 1 album by the Black Keys but we get TWO albums by Kings of Leon?!?!? Kings of Crunk has more place on this list! Bad list? No author… bad YOU
Kind of a bluesier, but less distinctive and more formulaic Soundgarden. Track one is "Closer" which has a nice 3-bar vamp before the guitar shop distortion takes over for several songs. The single "Sex is on Fire" earns its hit status, but "Use Somebody" is more on the side of generic radio fodder. Of the rest, "Manhattan" is strong, and begins the less noisy middle of the album. "Revelry" and "17" encapsulate my feeling that this is rock for country fans. The singer seems to have found a small expressive pocket that he can do well, and stays inside it. A better voice for an opening act than a headliner. 2/5
Imagine that this album had a different singer, anybody really. I would get better instantly.
Every song kind of sounds the same and the vocals get grating after a while. Not the worst music I’ve heard, but definitely generic.
The album with the hits. Teenage me enjoyed them enough to go see them in concert. Adult me thinks that their sound is a bit repetitive and shallow. His raspy yell cry voice gets on my nerves and the backing music was very generic. 4/10
Nickelback, but three times more successful and twice as dumb. Not bad enough to be one star, but so generic and forgettable.
No it’s not a good album. They had a coupes of very good ones but this wasn’t one of them.
Imagine getting 2 albums by this band only for a single hit. They really didn't know what else to add to their shitty list.
Ok
I remember when this came out, and my mom played Sex on Fire, and I thought both ‘Wow, why does my mom know who Kings of Leon are?’ and ‘Wow, it’s really unpleasant listening to a guy shout ‘your sex is on fire’ while in the car with your mom.’ Seriously, who thought those lyrics were cool, or well, sexy? I’ve never told a woman ‘your sex is (fill in the blank)’ because no matter what you say, you’re going to sound like a damned fool. I understand now that Kings of Leon needed to make this move in order to escape the fate of the typical early aughts indie band, that is, to be forever lost to time. And frankly, though mostly bland, this album is truly well produced. Caleb Followill has a unique and very good voice. This whole album is pleasant. Still, it also, to me, sort of harolded the end of underground rock. You can hear the transition here, especially on track 5, of the dawn of the music streaming algorithms feeding market research to bands to help them churn out the least offensive, most familiar sounds possible, so as to appeal to the largest audience. Therefore, there is wide appeal here and this album did meet success. But will it stand the test of time? I think it already fails to do so. It’s a soulless compilation with two tracks that will remain in the public zeitgeist and nine songs which won’t.
A lot of the music is pretty decent but the vocalist is going for way too much and it kinda ruins everything.
Un espèce de truc pas fondamentalement affreux, mais tout se mélange et rien n'en ressort. Médiocre.
I don't hate this band as much as I hate RHCP, but I definitely do not like them. Unique voice, but all the songs seem to sound the same..
There are a lot of misses on this album. Closer is a fine start and we start moving downhill pretty quickly after. It feels like Kings of Leon had an exact sound they were going for and maybe they nailed it but it gets stale. They rely heavily on the lead singers unique vocals. I get tired of that sound pretty fast. They’re making music in a way not too dissimilar from what imagine dragons do.
Espero que Kings of Leon acaben en mi sección de artistas controvertidos, porque su primer álbum me encanta y este me parece super mediocre. Pasaron de ser hillbilly indie con mucha personalidad a perderla por completo para ser otro grupo más de pop-rock de masas típico de su época. Este álbum es una especie de Coldplay con toques sureños. Salvo la primera canción, que es un temazo, el resto son puras radiofórmulas diseñadas para llenar estadios. En cualquier caso, un álbum que no aporta nada nuevo y que no debería formar parte de esta lista.
Can a band be a "one album" wonder? Always fascinated when bands make the choice to write more mainstream music. KOL never reached these heights again, but their music will live on in CVS aisles for years to come.
What a poor stretch of albums this has been. I can’t stand the vocals on this - shrill, affected & overwrought. Decent instrumentation and production, though.
This album had so little impact on me that I almost forgot to write a review of it! It’s very much in the BBC Six Music / Glastonbury indie stage on a Saturday afternoon vein of middle of the road mid 2000s rock music. The only bit that made me wince was when these 30 something rockers started singing about a girl being “only 17”. Yikes.
TL;DR: Imagine Coldplay with less whinning. You get it? There you go! Long version: OK, so the first song is pretty catchy, but then you can easily hear here and there gimmicks of "indie" (as in "fuck it we're mainstream and signed on a big ass major company") rock from this time. Like fucking Coldplay. With less whinning. Sometimes they can be pretty OK actually, with a good rhythm section (and a bass lines as the backbone of some of the songs), and a serious post-punk feeling (the bass once again, and some guitar parts). I was going to be indulgent, then they decided that it was a good idea to have the 17 song. Yeah, romanticizing anything with an underage girl is so fun!
Have to confess I’ve never listened to a KoL album until this project. I know the big hits but not the album tracks. Was hoping there would be more to their music than the big hits but this was sadly lacking. Didn’t do anything to make me want to listen to them any more than I did before!
Thankfully its better than Aha Shake, hopefully the third one is even better but not likely. 2.36
A completely rude awakening with this album. After Aha Shake Heartbreak I had become complacent with the idea that Kings of Leon were some nobody indie band that this book was intent on overrepresenting. Needless to say, I was shocked after being unwittingly smacked over the head with TWO hit songs back-to-back. Then, once I was crawling along the ground in desperate search of bandages this cheeky fucker decided to bust out one more. This album is listenable, but belongs to the lower echelon of listenable. It's the kind of album where I would give it's jewel case a long, discerning, slightly disapproving stare were I to hold it in my hands. I generally appreciate the lively tracks, though the subdued, pensive tracks are a mixed bag. They're good instrumentally, but are much more reliant on the vocals, which I am undecided on the quality of.
Playing catch up - so listened to both KOL albums that have come up so far back to back. As per comment on Aha Shake Heartbreak - I had really liked KOL first time around until Only By The Night - which was the beginning of my disengagement with KOL. Listening again today I don't think my opinion has changed with Only Be The Night having a more polished/ stadium feel that does not work for me. I gave Aha Shake Heartbreak a 3 and I would much rather listen to that - which I guess makes this a 2.
just because an album has a couple big singles doesn’t mean i need to listen to it before i die, robert dimery
It's pretty generic "alt-rock" and nothing really stands out. It's hard to believe that it received a nomination for best album and that "Use Somebody" actually won best song. It's just so incredibly boring yet still somehow gets regular airtime on the radio to this day. "Sex is on Fire" is a better song and actually has a decent groove, in my opinion. It's not a terrible album but there were much better albums in this genre from this time period.
It's still strange to me that this was so popular. It was bland then and it's bland now. The fact that this band has multiple albums on this list is a real head scratcher as they've mostly been forgotten as their music is very forgettable.
I don't hate KOL in general but this album in particular is agressively average
Will this be the album that finally shows me why Kings of Leon are (or were) so popular? I try to listen with an open mind but all I hear is a young Cocker wannabe trying too hard to emote over music engineered for maximum indie and/or young indie-tinged Southern Rock appeal. Every rough edge has been sanded to pristine blandness. Maybe the music’s lab-manufactured inoffensiveness amplifies the singer's quirks in the worst way, but I found it grating. Instead of elevating the songs, his voice drags them down. Sometimes my ears just don’t align with the masses, and I’m okay with that.
My Kings of Leon history goes like this… I got interested in Kings of Leon. I really liked Kings of Leon. I hated Kings of Leon. I’ve ignored Kings of Leon. Revisiting this album after not listening to it by choice for over ten years is interesting. The singles are damn catchy. You can’t deny it. It helps that I’m not hearing them all the time anymore. Positives: The opener is hands down my favorite track. The creepy, spooky vibe is a delight. Revelry is probably my second favorite. It reminds me of My Morning Jacket. Honestly, tracks 1-6 are pretty good. Negatives: I can’t stand 17. The young girl infatuation songs by grown men are just gross. Skip. As catchy as Sex on Fire might be, I don’t particularly like it. The back half of the album isn’t as good as the first half. (Notion is a decent song.) I can see myself listening to some of these songs from time to time but to play the whole album…I just don’t see that happening. Sometimes absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. 2/5
Although a big fan of the band, this one was their mainstream crossover success album and I always thought it was lack luster. Their earlier albums were raw and gritty and this one seemed so polished and produced.
Nothing crazy, it felt like pretty basic alt rock. I think there could be some songs that grow on me and I listen to more over time but the album as a whole doesn’t seem to offer much.
Kinda gives George Ezra but slightly more decent. The album has some good songs (cold desert was a special stand out) and some really not good songs (the oh oh ohs in the background of use somebody annoy me a lot) making the album feel kinda inconsistent. Honestly as an album though it was really not great at all.
A couple mild hits dragged down by the album
Not bad for bar vibes, but there's only a couple songs I really liked
Meh. And if Im not misinterpreting, there's a song about getting with a 17 year old.
I was kinda enjoying it for a while! I didn't love his voice and lyrics were okay, but I liked some of the interplay within the instruments, the noisy guitar solos, the hits are fine but some of the deeper cuts like Manhattan were cool. Then 17 came on....thats the kind of song that will instantly dock the album at least a star for me.
Eh..
Started really strong, but the second half of this was just really boring.
There's singing and people playing instruments, but it all sounds very bland and over produced. It's safe, middle-of-the-road stadium rock for people who would have done better listening to bands who did this all before in the 70s, but weren't around in the early 2000s to perform live I guess. The first couple of tracks showed some promise, maybe this would just be generic soft rock, but it slowed down to a painful crawl by the end. I'm not sure why the band thought it would be a good idea to put so many turgid tracks on the second side of the album, but it dragged it down to 2 stars for me. Weirdly, I got some Duran Duran vibes from some of the tracks, but not in a good way.
Słuchając tego, zastanawiałem się nad ideą hitów muzycznych. Coś staje się hitem, bo wszyscy to znają. Wszyscy coś znają, bo często leci w radiu lub innych środkach przekazu. I teraz pytanie - czy coś jest promowane, bo jest dobre? Czy coś zostaje uznane za dobre, bo jest agresywnie promowane? "Sex on Fire" (i może "Use Somebody") to jedyny utwór z tej płyty, którego jako tako mi się słucha. Choć jak się skupiłem, to słyszę, że mimo wszystko nie jest to utwór wybitny. Jest chwytliwy i energiczny - tak. Ale to wszystko. Czy w jakikolwiek sposób zwróciłby moją uwagę, gdyby nie to, że jest znany, bo regularnie leciał i leci w różnych składankach? Reszta albumu jest dla mnie bezdyskusyjnie nudna i płaska. Taki basic-mainstream/5.
I've listened to it in my house beacause I was afraid somebody will somehow know I listen to King of Leons and will judge me. I felt like I was a hostage in my own home. I checked and the album was 40 minutes but felt like 2 hours of the same song. One song was decent (probably the one that Wiktor mentioned but I don't want to check it).
There is nothing wrong with this album, as a background record it is perfectly pleasant with various radio-friendly soft rock numbers rolling by one after the other. It contains super hit ‘Sex on Fire’ which did briefly transport me to the summer of 2008 when it was played nearly constantly and despite it not being a song I was particularly fond of at the time, I did find myself singing along to the chorus. However that was the highlight in what was otherwise a too-long album with songs that just rolled into one. I hardly noticed when the tracks went by, making my track notes hard to complete as I struggled to distinguish each of them. All in all this is fine. If you like rock music then perhaps it’s better than fine. However I think few among us will find anything special here.
This album was everywhere on release, I genuinely can remember every radio station and music channel playing Use Somebody and Sex on Fire non stop for what felt like 6 months. And there’s a reason, the singles on this album are great. They’re not high brow art but the singles are tight, well made, catchy pop rock that doesn’t alienate any audience by overcommitting to the pop or the rock image. The album is stupidly front loaded, Closer the opener is easily the best song on the album, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody Manhattan and Revelry are all pretty great to varying degrees too. Although Crawl is probably the worst song on the album. I found the vocals a bit grating to want to listen to for 40 minutes. I think Kings of Leon are a band that is enjoyable for 1 or 2 songs at a time but afterwards the formula becomes apparent and things get annoying, but man for the 1 or 2 songs they rock. Overall there are some great songs on this but it dragged so badly which is impressive for a 42 min album. 2.5/5
Kings of Leon have a sound. The sound is layered guitars over propulsive rhythms. Sometimes they do really good things with that sound — other times it’s boring.
What leads this one to land on the '1001 Before You Die' list, ubiquity?
bit plain