18 September 2008
Those of you following Irish Number Ones on the socials will know ‘Mr Brightside’-Watch, my weekly bemusement at how The Killers’ most famous track is still in the Irish singles chart but without ever having got higher than no. 42 in Ireland. I mention it here because (a) talking helps me cope, and (b) I have the impression that ‘Sex On Fire’ and ‘Mr Brightside’ share the same Irish fanbase: GAA lads and classic rock radio, or at least GAA TV montage editors and classic rock radio programmers.
Any non-U2 rock single at number one in Ireland is a rarity, so how come the heretofore indie-scene Kings Of Leon suddenly scored a mainstream smash hit? Thinking back to that 2008 indie scene—and any fellow ’00s survivors can feel free to jump in here—I wasn’t a Kings Of Leon fan but I recall ‘Sex On Fire’ being greeted as them sanding down their ’70s southern US alt-rock sound into a calculated pivot to mainstream appeal. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you prefer chart pop to southern US alt-rock, but is the end product here any good?
Well, as with ‘Mr Brightside’, that driving riff is certainly stirring. The chorus is memorable too, though Caleb Followill’s vocal hook of “Yeeoh-ho!” also reminds me of the two-note blare of brass that starts the title song from Goldfinger. Otherwise, the song itself is a bit dumb: title lyric aside, stuff like “head while I’m driving” leans into crass ’00s laddishness and the rest feels like mumbled placeholder from a soundcheck. Still, I suppose on its own terms ‘Sex On Fire’ is effective. By the way, you could probably get a cream for that from the chemist.
