The Killers ~ Day & Age (album review) ... A maturing band!

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.

The Killers ~ Sam's Town (album review) ... As much a velvet goldmine as ever!

Style: alt rock, indie, post-punk revival, new wave
Label: Island
Year: 2006
Home: Las Vegas

Members: Brandon Flowers ~ lead vocals/keyboards/bass
Dave Keuning ~ guitar/backing vocals
Mark Stoermer ~ bass/guitar/backing vocals
Ronnie Vannucci ~ drums/percussion

Additional: Adrina Hanson, Maryam Haddad, Tristan Moyer ~ strings
Tommy Marth, Neeraj Khajanchi ~ horns
Corlene Byrd, Louis XIV ~ backing vocals

 

  Besides having brought into the studio my musical icon Lou Reed to record guest vocals on a later album ("Tranquilize"), which is always bonus points in my book, while other bands choose whatever hip-hop artist is the most popular, I've loved these guys since I first heard this album. But, it's a hard band to classify. For me they're reminiscent of goth but on the other hand are could have been on the Velvet Goldmine Soundtrack, though goth & glam are far from distant cousins. A lot of the attraction has to do with the lyrics. They're mysterious & reflective & even erotic & clearly shine of a Reed-Bowie influence with a bit of R.E.M. You're pretty sure you understand the song but you're also pretty sure you don't. Such as in 'When You Were Young' when it's sung: "I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus/but he talks like a gentleman/when you imagined/when you were young". You're also pretty sure you're singing along without realizing it. This is not a heavy band & is clearly on the punk end of the rock spectrum, which I tend to shy away from, but this is a band I can't help but always turn an ear to. Though, part of it is the fact that they copy the British end of the punk spectrum, i.e. Morrissey, The Smiths, The Cure & The Psychedelic Furs which is so different than it's American Green Day counterpart I don't even think of that music as punk. & I love all those bands. This may not be a heavy metal or hard rock band, but they are so good & shine their individuality so much how can I not stretch the rock spectrum to review them here, particularly since this is such a great album?