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50 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A New Day & Age for The Killers, 26 Nov 2008
This is not an album which will instantly gratify, but after several listens the songs seem to unfold and become more 'accessible'.
Losing Touch: A good opening track. The infamous sax makes its first appearance, and blends well into the overall mood of the song. You may hear an echo of Roxy Music on this track. Ends with the only guitar solo on the album.
Human: Surely everyone has heard this by now - a fun, catchy, danceable track. I'm sure it would have reached no 1 on the singles chart, if there had been a CD release.
Spaceman: Another upbeat song with a catchy sing-along chorus. Alien abduction was never this much fun on the X Files! Set to be the second single.
Joy Ride: A sudden change of pace, very David Bowie Young Americans, but better (in my view). A great bass line; difficult to stand still when this is playing, and it has a lovely middle 8 section.
A Dustland Fairytale: A song about Brandon's parents, and a celebration of constancy in a relationship. Begins quietly but builds to a fairly anthemic finish - probably the most Sam's Town-esque track on this album.
This Is Your Life: An unusual sound to this song, tribal chanting and rhythmic drumming contrast well with the very clear vocals telling a story - but I'm not sure what it's about yet!
I Can't Stay: A very island feel to this one, with a shuffling beat and a sprinkling of steel drums. A fairly short, sweet song Brandon wrote about having to leave his family at home whilst touring. A good melodic vocal performance.
Neon Tiger: A song about Las Vegas. Fairly even-paced, plenty of synth. Still not sure about the 'Come on girls and boys...' line - but it sounds good live!
The World We Live In: I feel this is probably the weakest track - the verses are not too prominent in the song, so it doesn't seem to vary much from start to finish. Not unpleasant, but nothing very special.
Goodnight, Travel Well: A really difficult song to listen to. Not really a song at all, more like a requiem. This was written to mark the death of Dave's mother, and also for Brandon's mother who was very ill (happily now responding to treatment). Anyone who has experienced the death of someone dear to them will empathise with the feeling in this track. It has a cinematic feel, starting very slowly, almost dirge-like, but slowly building to a climax of intense anguish followed by a suggestion of release.
A Crippling Blow: Having this bonus track means that the album does not end quite so bleakly as it otherwise might. A slightly quirky song with a middle-Eastern feel to it, and a sudden change of mood at the end.
As a big Killers fan I love this album. If I have a criticism, it's that maybe they've tried to do too much within one record. That said, experimentation is a good thing if a band is to develop - there is no point in making the same album every time. When the songs are well-formed melodically, as these are, then the tunes are always there to underpin the sometimes unexpected instrumentation.
It's neither Hot Fuss nor Sam's Town, but something different again. Still The Killers though, and well worth your money if you are prepared to listen a few times and allow the songs the time they need to be appreciated.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How The Killers Have Grown, 4 Jan 2009
The first thing I will say about this album is that you have to give it 3 or 4 listens before you can really appreciate how good it is. When I first listened to it I thought I might be disapointed as none of the tracks seemed to stand out to me as they had done instantly on Hot Fuss and Sam's Town.
However after hearing it a few times I can say that this is without a doubt The Killers best album yet - and that is saying something.
What is new in this album is that a lot of the songs are written about the personal lives of members of the band. For example "A Dustland Fairytale" which tells the story of how Brandon Flowers' parent's met and his mother's battle with cancer.
This makes the album very full of emotion which is something that The Killers havn't really done before, and they have pulled it off brilliantly. The Singles "Human" and "Spaceman" are both very good tracks, more in the style of earlier Killers work. But the true beauty of this album is, as I said, in the slower, more emotional tracks. My personal favorite is probably "A Dustland Fairytale". I also really like "The World We Live In" and "I Can't Stay".
If you are a fan of the Killers then no doubt you will already have bought this album. If not then I would strongly recommend it as there is something on here for everyone.
One Final Point: The Track "Goodnight, Travel Well" is truly breathtaking. It was written about the death of Dave Keunig's mother and it really captures the emotions of anyone who has lost a loved one. The Album is worth it just to hear this song. You won't regret getting this Album.
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20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A grower ..., 4 Dec 2008
Being honest I was horrified when I first played the latest effort from my favourite band. At times it sounds so different from Hot Fuss and Sams Town , but that wasn't the problem. It was the instruments and production they had chosen. "Is that the saxophone from some long forgotten Sade track I can hear ? Yes it is" ... "Those drums sound like they came from Club Tropicana by Wham!" ... in other words , where Hot Fuss took it's influences from the best of 80's pop ( New Order / early Duran Duran ), they are using some sounds here that remind you of the worst from that decade. The production by Stuart Price ( Madonna - Confessions On a Dancefloor ) is very clever in places but too lightweight overall.
Still , I persevered as I love the band so much and there were a clutch of songs I loved right away. 'Human' is gorgeous. The best song the Pet Shop Boys never wrote , sung by a much better singer than Neil Tennant. 'Losing Touch' is classic Killers. 'Spaceman' is a fantastic rollercoaster of fun rock and should be a huge hit when released as a single. It took about eight listens and eventually I came to love every track except for the final one 'Goodnight , Travel Well' , which has well meaning lyrics but it's a case of "spot the tune" ( don't try too hard , there isn't one .. ). When you get over the change in style , the strength of the songwriting here really shines through. I suspect this album will get mixed reviews from many people as there are so many songs that grow on you and not so many that hit you right away. Give it a chance though and I suspect you'll end up loving it as much as I do , there are not many bands in the world as big as this one willing to take as many musical risks by changing styles so frequently. Against the odds , they've pulled it off again.
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