Battle Born

There comes a time when you reach a certain age with music and realise that you're not going to jump up and down screaming anymore, asking what the hell was that I just heard on the radio... and where can I get it!? Gone are the days when the first riff of Smells like Teen Spirit turned you to jelly, the opening chords of Teenage Kicks left you feeling dizzy with excitement, and the clanging chimes of Born to Run made you pump your fists in the air with delight. Maybe it's age, maybe it's a rather jaded, cynical outlook we have with the music industry, if not life, these days that turns those of us of a certain generation to more contemplative reactions. So it was that I invested in the new Killers album, took one look at the cover and honestly cringed and laughed out loud all at the same time. People don't commission artists to make record sleeves like this anymore surely... do they? Horses, mountains, open roads, chinks of light beyond the threatening sky. This went out with Meat Loaf didn't it? Boston, Kansas? Any American band named after somewhere?! This can't be good, I thought. And then I started playing the record; and from beginning to end, I had a smile on my face. It was all instantly recognisable, clichéd in places, yes, stretching the bounds of even this band's ironic credibility, certainly.

But then on Runaways I suddenly found my hands holding that imaginary guitar again and powering those chords through "you know this is real babe why you want to fight it?". On Here with Me, was that really my arms in the air moving in time to "spent the summer, laying out in the sun, time went so slow"? Wait a minute, is that the sound of a crescendo building on Miss Atomic Bomb? I AM 18 again, going down to the pub with my mates, basking in the endless summer, listening to "the heart of a girl, seeing the time dripping down the clock, reminding us of a place from where we came."

Of course it's all nonsense, none of it is real. Rock music never has been. I've spent enough time in the United States to know that I've never chased a stallion down an open road on the way to Monument Valley. But I once dreamed of doing it growing up in a small town wondering if I'd ever see what Bruce saw in his songs! And now with Battle Born, The Killers have brought me back to that state of mind and will no doubt do so in the future every time I indulge in this record for forty minutes or so. Now that is what rock music is for! Recommended.

I like this album. It's not original as such though. My first listens 'frightened me' with sounds of Voyager, Meatloaf, U2, Wilburys, Kate Bush, The Waterboys etc as some others have mentioned. These guys have really swiped (ahem, been influenced by) a number of sounds from other artists. Then I took a deep breath.

This was not the first time the Killers have done this to me. I loved Hot Fuss and Sam's town. When I got Day and Age, I think I threw it across the room after the second listen..I think it may have been the Copacabana(!) sounds of Joyride? It took me a year or two to get over that, then I saw the Albert Hall concert and realised they were still awesome and I actually liked D&A!

So what of this album? The problem is everyone expects to hear a new album the same as the last (or the one they like). In this case everyone wants the edgey Killer sound of old. Well it ain't going to happen, you are only cool for so long. It doesn't mean you a crap, just that you have developed. The old songs are still there, its a case of putting the new songs alongside them and admiring them as a collection of work. The songs of Battle Born take a while to love but then you appreciate the little licks, the lyrics and realise it is good. If they kept playing the same 'song' you would get bored and hate them for that to! You can't write Mr Brightside twice. Songs of that standard just mean the Killers will always be around. The only way you can judge the album is with time. Every great artist has duffers, it doesn't negate them as an artist, you just have to make sure you haven't missed a gem along the way.

As it is, I think this is a strong album. I give it 4 star now after 4 days of constant play. I don't think there is a bad track on it especially, if you can get past the "where have I heard this intro from..." I think a lot of the tracks will sit well with the others when they play live on their upcoming tour.

A great addition to my Killers collection. Even the kids prefer it in the car to their normal hip hop and rap.