Loaded Couch Potatoes

Master Black talks some music.

Kings of Leon – Only By the Night (2008)

 Vocals / Rhythm Guitar – Caleb Followill

Lead Guitar – Matthew Followill

Bass – Jared Followill

Drums – Nathan Followill

Track One – Closer

“Leaving me stranded all in love on my own”

The first thirty-odd seconds of this track – and therefore the album – consist of a haunting loop that is best appreciated on rural back-roads after midnight. At least, that’s been my experience with the song. I honestly can’t say how it compares to other opening tracks from the band, but for me, it was a great intro to the sheer depth of Caleb’s voice. Between the rhythm and vocals, don’t be surprised if you find yourself hearing this one in your head any time the lights are out.

Track Two – Crawl

“The reds and the whites and abused”

Tied for my least-favorite song on this album; I’m all for good politically-charged songwriting, and this isn’t a bad song. It just feels disjointed and slightly out-of-place with the rest of the album. On its “pros” side, the rhythm and arrangement are interesting, and it provides us with another side of Caleb’s voice. Plus the guitar solo at the end is above-average in bad-assery. Not terrible, just not something I want to hear over-and-over.

Track Three – Sex on Fire

“The kiddie-like play”

The first single off the album, this was the song that piqued my interest in the album itself. It showcases the band’s “rock” talents more than the first two songs. The bass and drum lines really steal the show here, and it sets the tone for other songs like it. These guys really have a handle on letting their songs flow musically between slow-paced verses and fever-pitch choruses. Most of the time singles are chosen for being more mass-marketable. While often great songs, they tend to be only third-or-fourth-best on the album; that holds true here, but considering how awesome this song is…

Track Four – Use Somebody

“Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat”

On my first listen through the disc, I had just finished listening to the main single, which really is good. And then this song came on. And I restarted it several times just to make sure I was actually hearing something so good. My second-favorite track off the album, this song captures what I mentioned above, and throws in a spark of that je ne sais quoi bands long for. The drum and bass are flawless, the guitar is used as an accent at just the right moments, and Caleb’s voice is that perfect mix of heartbreaker and heartbroken.

Track Five – Manhattan

“It’s gonna keep on, keep on, keep on”

Musically, this is a very laid-back, easy drinking song. The beat doesn’t do anything fancy, and the guitar line has that sun-coming-up-after-a-long-night feeling. Lyrically, I have no idea what the f*ck this song is about. The seemingly innocuous “dance all night” theme turns sinister, but I don’t know on whose part. The eeriest part is that Caleb’s delivery only reflects the change at the very end, when it’s obviously too late for whoever. I really like the song, and its placement on the album, but I have nothing to give you in the way of interpretation.

Track Six – Revelry

“It rained so hard it felt like snow”

A song much like the previous one in almost all respects, and this time I have an actual idea of what is being communicated. By my reckoning, this is an old-school “I’m here and she’s not” song, but one of the areas where the Kings excel is in telling the stories we know in new, perfect ways. The drum and bass continue to roll along evenly, while the guitar twangs like it’s as heartbroken as the singer. This is an easy listen, but by no means a dull one.

Track Seven – 17

“Said it’s a culmination of a story and a goodbye session”

I’m not sure about how I feel about this song, which is actually composed of just one verse that plays then repeats with the music changing between the two. It and on last song seem to be matched with “Crawl,” at least to my ears; I can maybe sense their place on the album, but I’m just not a huge fan. Again, there’s nothing wrong with the song; the musical arrangement and execution are impressive, and the lyrics are delivered with poignancy. I just don’t like it that much. Can I say that? “I don’t like it. Maybe.”

Track Eight – Notion

“So don’t knock it, don’t knock it, you been there before”

One of my favorites, this song belongs to Caleb’s voice. The music takes a back seat while he sings, and then cuts in during breaks and as an accent to the chorus. It’s awesome, well-paced, and plays its part well. But the way the lyrics sound just grips you, makes you want to feel the “notion,” even though you know it’s a bad thing. A terrific song, hands down.

Track Nine – I Want You

“The night vision shows she was only ducking the truth”

This songs rounds out my bottom three alongside “Crawl” and “17”, though musically I think I enjoy it slightly more. As far as I can tell, the song is maybe a critique of frat-boy mentality or, more likely, the back-country-teenage-good-old-boy mentality from which the former originates. Let me really drive this song home for you: After the line I posted under the title, the song seems to indicate they are watching a video of a girl performing oral sex on a black man. It is insinuated that the viewers know this girl, personally.

Wait, what?

Track Ten – Be Somebody

“Was this your big plan, your gun in your hand”

Holy shit I love this song. So much that I cannot accurately describe it to you. It was this song that made me go “Whoa. Who the hell are these guys?” I’m sure there is a video on YouTube, but hell if I know how to post those on the site. Go find it. Please.

Track Eleven – Cold Desert

“I’m too young to feel this old”

The album draws to a close with a song that resonates with “Closer,” but is different enough to let you know that you’re at the end of something, rather than the start. That haunting quality returns, with all of its country-back-roads overtones. I think the thing I love about this song is that if anyone else tried it, it would probably sound overused, gimmicky, whiney, etc. But when the line I chose to accent the title is delivered, it comes across as honest. A great finish to a great album.

Final Thoughts

This is the first time I have ever tried to review a piece of music critically, and I know there are some holes. But I write on this site for one reason – to share things. If you get nothing else out of this, take away that I really enjoy this album. Enough to risk writing about it on the internet.