The Killers: Sam's Town
The Killers are back, more moustachioed than ever before
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Monday, 02, Oct 2006 09:24
Mercury, out Oct 2nd.
In a nutshell.
Anthemic. Long-awaited. Americana. Sophomore. Success.
What's it all about?
It's about the return of The Killers, those nice boys from Las Vegas who us Brits have taken to our hearts but have been somewhat ignored by those on the other side of the Atlantic. The very Anglo-Saxon influences that seep through whenever Brandon Flowers takes to the stage may well be to blame for that. From New Order to Pulp to Oasis, the higher echelons of Brit Pop and New Wave are all generously referenced. Indeed, it was from New Order's video for Crystal that the band's name was conceived.
But Flowers and co appear to have taken the lack of fuss their first album, Hot Fuss, caused in the good ol' US of A to heart and have sought to redress the balance. Sam's Town is a nod in the direction of Americana at its most brash. References to highways, hurricanes and two-star towns certainly don't seem to be aimed at striking a chord with Johnny, 19, from Camden? Chances are, however, that America will still overlook The Killers in favour of more palatable British bands like Coldplay. Or Keane. Or indeed Bruce Springsteen.
Who's it by?
The Killers came into being after lead singer Flowers got disenchanted by life in synth-pop band Blush Response in 2001 and put up an advert calling for fans of Oasis, who he had seen at a recent gig in his hometown of Las Vegas, to join him in a band. According to Flowers, the only person who "wasn't a complete freak" to reply was guitarist David Keuning. The duo later approached bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci and the band as it is now came together.
After getting noticed in England first and trumpeted by, among others, Radio 1, The Killers released Hot Fuss in June 2004 in the UK to great acclaim. It went on to go multi-platinum in both the US and UK, but it was in Britain where most copies were shifted and where Flowers' band went on to have arguably their finest moment. Having turned down the opportunity to come in as last-minute headline replacements for the sick Kylie Minogue, The Killers instead played second fiddle to the White Stripes at Glastonbury 2005. They proceeded to utterly outshine Jack White and friends and perform one of the best-received slots ever held in the venerable Somerset fields. Rumour has it they will be back as headliners next summer with, if this is not just a viciously ironic rumour in the wake of the critical reaction to Sam's Town, a certain Mr Springsteen.
As an example
"I still remember Grandma Dixie's wake/ I never really known anybody to die before/ Red white and blue upon a birthday cake/ And my brother, he was born on the fourth of the July...and that's all." - Sam's Town
"We're burning down the highway skyline/ On the back of a hurricane that started turning/ When you were young." - When You Were Young
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Critics who previously built bands up on debut are notoriously harsh on second albums and the early reaction to Sam's Town is mixed to say the least. But the dangerous second album syndrome seems to have just about been avoided and The Killers are more than likely to be picking up a raft of awards for their efforts. Although whether they'll be as universally acclaimed as they were last year remains to be seen.
What the others say
"Sam's Town succeeds because the changes have not come at the expense of the tunes. The album doesn't lend Flowers the gravitas he apparently yearns for, but it does prove that few are better at irrepressible pop hooks and fist-pumping choruses." - The Guardian
"Why, Killers? Why? It's the oldest story in the New Wave book: (1) Boys get famous wearing makeup and acting tarty to impress girls; (2) Boys wash off makeup and act sincere to impress boys; (3) It never works." - Rolling Stone
"The tunes may be huger, the influences cleverer, the lyrics more adventurous and the band more self-assured, but their primary concern is still being the biggest indie-pop stars on the planet. For all their smart new ways, The Killers are still as flashy, unintentionally funny, and flagrantly affected as ever - and this time we wouldn't even pretend to have it any other way." - NME
So is it any good?
As soon as the opening bars of the thumping Sam's Town pulsate out of the speakers there can be no doubt about the origin of the Springsteen references. 'I've heard this somewhere before' the brain says, and indeed the three words 'born', 'to' and 'run' go swimming around the head without warning. The Killers have gone all epic on us and they figure there is no point hiding the fact. From the very first note on this album it is clear The Killers have moved on. Does it work? Mostly.
There's just so much of other people's music in here. The pointless Enterlude and Exitlude, which bracket the album's tracks bar the breathless Sam's Town and the bonus track Where the White Boys Dance, are straight out of the Beatles back catalogue. When You Were Young, the excellent single, contains an unexpected homage to that great American hero, Meatloaf, and Bling (Confessions of a King), for all its quality, often merges into U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday.
For Reasons Unknown could have been written by Freddie Mercury, Where the White Boys Dance is Bowie-esque in the extreme and the list continues. This is not to say The Killers have lifted anyone else's work, Sam's Town is still distinctly original, but anyone coming to Sam's Town hoping for Hot Fuss part two will go away disappointed. Only Uncle Jonny sounds like The Killers of old and that can only be tinged with regret when The Killers of old were just so damn good.
That said, Sam's Town is more hit than miss. Read My Mind is a stunning slowburner, Sam's Town and When You Were Young only very narrowly fail to emulate The Boss in his prime and Bling (Confessions of a King) is arguably the best song on the record.
Flowers believes it is one of the best albums in 20 years. He says it's a grower and that the critics will come to agree with him in time. Those critics are mixed in their reactions. Some praise the new, leather-wearing, facial-hair heavy image while others pine for the glitzy 80s days of Somebody Told Me. Only time will tell who's right, but suffice to say that Sam's Town is a great Killers record. Just not as we know it.
7.5/10
Martin Ashplant