Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
Many people may have not yet heard of Kings of Leon; now's the time to change that. "After three records and touring for five years straight, we knew what we were capable of," says the band's drummer Nathan Followill, "we just had to put our money where our mouths were. We had to take it to the next level"<www.kingsofleon.com/pages/bio>. Youth and Young Manhood (2003) and Aha Shake Heartbreak (2005) began the rockin' saga. Upon the release of their third album Because Of The Times in April 2007, Entertainment Weekly dubbed it their "crowning achievement," while Rolling Stone pondered: "How good can the Kings of Leon get? They've already gone further than anybody could have guessed"<www.kingsofleon.com/pages/bio>.
This album, not unlike the past compilations the band has released, has music made to listen to live. Only By The Night, released September 23rd, has an aesthetic appeal best experienced in person. Having said that, listening to the new stuff from KOL in you car or room with the speakers blasting and you wailing away on the air guitar will only advance the likability of the sounds you hear. "Sex on Fire", the first single off the new album, stresses the importance of safety when dealing with a partner in an sexual relationship . . . or it could just capture the relentlessness of rock the Followill boys produce; I may be reading too much into the title. The official bio for the band emphasizes the "stunning melodies, ringing guitars, and razor-sharp grooves" Only By The Night creates. Kings of Leon have shown they could generate this kind of force throughout their career, and those who have experienced their live shows will attest to that fact.
The trippy, ethereal feel of the opening track "Closer", apparently about a lovesick vampire according to lead singer Caleb Followill, sets the tone for what's to come. "Revelry" builds from a self-reflective, trip-hoppy head-bobber into an outpouring of nostalgically shared love and good times, all backed by a groovy little bass and drum line. Finishing the album is "Cold Desert", an emotionally intense ballad "about a man at the end of his rope who picks himself back up", showing that heart lies throughout Only By The Night. One of my favorite tunes off the album is "17" because it takes turns making you listen to the lyrics ("Oh, it's the rolling of her Spanish tongue that makes me want to stay") and feeling the musicality of the back and forth of the tempo; I'm also a sucker for great drum playing when accompanied by unique instrumentation, here represented by bells mimicking the guitar riffs.
The entirety of Only By The Night will grab you and drag you to see them live. Check their tour dates out here and plan on leaving thoroughly satisfied down to your soul.
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
The second solo release from Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis churns out the folksy, soulful music she is known for; in a word Acid Tongue is raw. The style is captured ever so definitively by All Music Guide: "early-'70s West Coast rock, rooted in country-rock but touching on gospelfied blues and R&B, pitched somewhere between Laura Nyro and Bonnie Raitt, colored by spooky ballads and sweeping strings swiped from early Elton John" (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide).
Jenny seems to have a knack for "pour my heart out" song writing, and the title track, "Acid Tongue", acoustically delivers her signature singer/songwriter style (the track link features a mini-skit with Death Cab For Cutie front man, Ben Gibbard, leading up to the song). The lyrics speak on behalf of Lewis as she tries to find her way through a relationship in which she has done something to find herself now alone. She admits, "you know I am a liar . . . And you don’t know what I’ve done", but would rather "build a fire" than put the effort into figuring it out.
"Carpetbaggers" stands out as a clear connection to and continuation of the alt-country feel of Lewis' first solo release, Rabbit Fur Coat, on which she collaborated with The Watson Twins in January 2006. This track features a duet with Jenny's idol and fellow accomplished singer/songwriter, Elvis Costello, as she teases, "It's a bad man's world, and I'm a bad, bad girl".
Initially the central focus of Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis' struggles with her Christian upbringing and spirituality continually prove to be a recurring theme throughout Acid Tongue. The closing gem, "Sing A Song For Them", encourages you to include “weekend tweakers”, “fairies on Main Street”, and “deadbeat daddies and boulevard freaks”, amongst others in your Sunday prayers. Another personal stand out for me is "Jack Killed Mom", which begins with an upbeat, jazzy piano riff which leads you to believe this is just another light-hearted, wellspun diddy. A careful listen to the lyrics reveal that this is a revenge song in defense of the narrator's mother who has been wronged in some way. The tune rolls out in the end with the "kick your seat out from under ya" style Gospel and early rock-n-roll greats used to do. Lewis' voice sweetly captures the message of "Trying My Best to Love You" as well, making this another standout on the album, especially if you dig her journey through love's ups and downs.
Check Acid Tongue out in its entirety and you'll find that the album carries a sense of wholeness to it. It also will please some to know that Chris Robinson (The Black Crows), M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel (She & Him), as well as Lewis' boyfriend Jonathan Rice, all accompany Costello in their own way to the instrumentation and vocal backing arenas throughout the album.
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