Album Review: The Killers - Sam's Town (4/5)

A little band named The Killers became the hottest thing in music in 2004 with their debut album Hot Fuss. Fun, quirky songs, accomplished guitar and keyboard combos, and a new wave sensibility with a wink caught hold both abroad and in the U.S.

They became the band everyone wanted to emulate, forcing the band in a new direction for second album Sam’s Town. Rather than change their winning musical sound though, the band has gone for depth, mining the sounds of big ‘80s American rock, namely Bruce Springsteen and U2 (I know U2 is Irish, but would anyone argue that The Joshua Tree isn’t an American album?). The results are mostly winning, certainly just as grand as their first album, even if they fall short of the album’s epic goals.

Opening track “Sam’s Town” demonstrates the band’s musical formula isn’t straying far from what they established on Hot Fuss: electric guitars and keyboards with Brandon Flowers wailing for all he’s worth. It’s a concert-ready track, breaking into a pre-packaged sing-along refrain at the end.

“When You Were Young” covers similar but faster territory. Flowers sings like a maniac offering up lines like “he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus.” It surpasses “Mr. Brightside” to become their single finest musical moment yet.

“Bling (Confessions of a King)” has a guitar rhythm reminiscent of Hot Fuss’s “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” and a keyboard scored chorus straight from the ‘80s. Mid-tempo “Read My Mind” is a pretty song, its lyrics creating the small-town American landscape in tribute to Springsteen. It would make a great third single. Darker “Uncle Jonny” is good too, though at times a little plodding. Second single “Bones” is another new-wave styled highlight. Twinkly keyboards and a dose of horns add a good sense of fun.

“This River is Wild” radiates musical energy with two layers of electric guitars and keyboards that really come to the forefront (they get buried on many songs in favor of the guitars). Gentle “Why Do I Keep Counting” is good too and particularly melodic, as is the closing "Exitlude."

No bad tracks, but some are better than others. “For Reasons Unknown” stretches Brandon’s vocal abilities too far. He’s criticized as being somewhat limited as a singer, and while I don’t find him annoying, like say the lead singer of Razorlight, I do agree that he’s not well-suited for some of the songs here that require a Bono-like belter that Flowers just isn’t. “My List’s” piano, strings, and bass opening is the album’s quietest moment, which unfortunately also reveals Flowers’ vocal weakness. He sounds better when the song picks up with guitars, perhaps because his of the multi-tracking on his vocals. His vocal “wavering” gets old.

Sam's Town is not as far-straying from Hot Fuss as perhaps intended (or not, given that it sold tons), but thoroughly enjoyable, and thankfully not over-long at 10 songs (with 2 interludes). Highlights: When You Were Young, Bling (Confessions of a King), Read My Mind, Bones, This River is Wild.