Style: alt rock, indie, post-punk revival, new wave
Label: Island
Year: 2008
Home: Las Vegas
Members: Brandon Flowers ~ vocals/keyboards/bass
Dave Keuning ~ guitar/b. vocals
Mark Stoermer ~ bass/guitar/b. vocals
Ronnie Vannucci ~ drums/percussion
Additional: Daniel de los Reyes ~ percussion
Tommy Marth ~ saxophone
Sam's Town is a dense Duran Duran-esque affair in comparison to it's successor Day & Age, which is what you get when you peel the layers away. It's the outcome of a matured band show a softer slide after the rushing energy of the previous album. I personally prefer the layers of S'sT, which is reminiscent to the multi-layered prog-rock that I grew up, but this has it's own charms. The highlight tracks, such as the MTV chart-topper "Human" & "Spaceman", are equal to anything they've done previously, while the softer ballads provide a much needed release to the tension their odd & individualistic arrangements often seem to create. As for their infamous lyrics, which on this album included the hotly debated "Human" with it's chorus of "Are we human or are we dancer" ... based on a quote by Hunter S. Thompson about becoming a "generation of dancers" ... this is the stuff that makes Michael Stipe of R.E.M. a lyrical legend. You can't help singing along ... just don't think about the details about what you're singing & how it doesn't quite make sense. My only problem with this album is it has more of a dance beat that it's new wave predecessor, such as in "Joy Ride," which works but sometimes verges a little on Men At Work-esque corny, particularly as I see them as a rock band not a dance outfit. Though, I do love Men At Work. The Calypso rhythm of "I Can't Stay" is a nice touch, too & just not heard enough on rock albums outside of Santana.
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