Battle born
Artist: The Killers
Thus being my favorite band making me cry myself to sleep in a fetal position every night and tattooing their lyrics on my fragile body, I can't say that this is my favorite work to date. After working with 5 A-list producers like Daniel Lanois and Brendan O'Brien, The killers have delivered an album that regardless of being strong and cohesive, makes me feel like like I'm cruising around the Vegas strip while having an 80's-Springsteen overdose making me crash into the Mojave desert.
Though quite unique for it's day and age and packed with strong lyrics, The Killers left the simplicity of their 2004 hit single "Mr. Brightside" and embarked on a new journey of massive production. With a stadium rock feel and a power that hits you like a raging bull or their famous "Bolt" that might be a little hard to swallow all at once. Personally liking more simple and soft yet edgy melodies like "For reasons unknown" off their second album "Sam's Town" or their very popular "Jenny was a friend of mine" from their first album "Hot Fuss" and their so called "murder trilogy" This album left me with a little bit of a Synth overload.
But I am no one to blame the foursome for wanting to make something much different than what we usually hear from them. With a much mature sound and an older audience of course, that has grown with them in the last 10 years, TK outdid themselves but might have gone a little overboard making them sound like they were trying too hard on their 4th studio album. Very much similar though to "Hot Fuss" with it's strong synth and upbeat melodies, It is a little bit more softer and literal with it's lyrics yet the power chords and rave-like beats (which are sometimes a little too much) take it to a completely different level. Could it be that their 4 year hiatus left them a little dry hence the fact that it took them longer than any of their previous albums to make, or the before mentioned fact that they used 5 different producers, that is giving them a sound of overproduced greatness. The answer is not certain but regardless of their melodic makeover, It is still one hell of a record!
With songs like "Runaways" where Brandon Flowers's voice will knock you right off your feet being bigger, better and louder than ever or "Here with me" their first and only ballad, this record will blow your brains out as it hits you with guitarist Dave Keuning's Robert Plant-like chords. While the song "Miss atomic bomb" softens up my inexistent heart reminding me of my ex, songs like "Battle Born" and "Flesh and bone" will make you want to be greater than life as you raise your fist chanting their powerful lyrics in the middle of a giant crowd (similar to the effects of "All these things that I've done"). "From here on out" will leave you shock and asking when did The Killers go country? and "Heart of a girl" similar to Dire straits "Romeo and Juliet" will make you want to find that special someone ASAP!
Regardless of the album not being my favorite and a little hard to swallow like mentioned before, you do warm up to it after a listen or two. You can't blame Brandon, Ronnie, Mark and dave for trying to aspire greatness with this new album. If they wanted to have a greater than life stadium rock sound to them, well they have definitely achieved it! Might it be that just like Mr.Flowers, I believe that "Sam's Town" is the greatest album of the past 20 years and that is holding me back on accepting such change. No matter the circumstance I stand right behind them and give them 4 out of five stars on their new album that has even given them a greater chance of showmanship on their tour and made them sell out wembley with a crowd of 90,000 making me look forward to my 4th Killer's concert next week! So if you haven't heard it then what are you waiting for? It's been out for a year! Enjoy.
Link to full album below:
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