Log in

Home >> Reviews >> Albums / 2006

Released: 2nd October 2006.

After a shower of negativity from just about everyone since its release, the critisism that Brandon has got "too big for his boots" and the fact that the whole thing sounds like Bruce Springsteen, is "Sam's Town" actually worth bothering with?

If listened to with an open mind, you might actually discover there's more to this album than facial hair and a slightly out of tune voice.

The first track on this CD that makes you sit up and think "hang on, this could be something special" is the opener itself, "Sam's Town", taking off from where Hot Fuss left off, with an immense synth line and a mysterious theme.

"Enterlude" and "Exitlude" may seem like pointless fillers on paper, however treating the album like a visit to this "Sam's Town" it actually makes sense, with a welcoming message at the start and a lovely send off at the end.

Sandwiched in between are some of the best indie pop songs of the year. The forthcoming single "Bones" is a prime example of exactly what the Killers have to offer. It's catchy, it's not too serious, and it's tongue-in-cheek suggestive, with the lyrics "don't you want to feel my bones, on your bones?". A sequel to "Somebody Told Me" if ever there was one.

Elsewhere, stand out tracks come from "Uncle Johnny", "Read My Mind" and the two epics, "My List" and "Why Do I Keep Counting."

To conclude, it's definetley not "Hot Fuss", but it never claimed to be. It's the same Killers we knew and loved back in 2004, but somehow they've managed to play on it, sounding more experienced. Give it a chance.

(Twixy)

Before they were thrust into the spotlight via their soundtracking to many a house party on "The O.C", The Killers were a very cool, very hip band from Vegas making sing-a-long indie-electro-pop. Unfortunately, they have now fallen prey to that rather deadly disease of DSAS (Difficult Second Album Syndrome).

How? Something tells me that it's since their performance last year at Live 8 that Brandon's ego has shot up, what with mingling with Bono and the like. First single "When You Were Young" is an absolute stinker, suggesting they are harking on past glories, and with the exception of the album's sole redeemer "Read My Mind", the rest of this album is a stinker too.

Their attempt at taking on influences of Bruce Springsteen was clearly a disaster from the beginning - more couldn't give a toss than the Boss.

(Alex MacGregor)

All reviews for The Killers