Album Review: The Killers - Day & Age (4/5)

The Killers became one of the most influential bands of the decade with their first album Hot Fuss. Its new wave revivalism became the "in" sound of many bands during the second half of this decade. With their heavy use of synthesizers in check they made their second album, Sam's Town, which saw them expand their '80s influences to the sweeping Americana sounds of Bruce Springsteen and U2. Brandon Flowers, while mightily entertaining, is no Bono or the Boss, and his relatively thin voice got swallowed at times by the assaulting sound mixes of their last album. And the band drew criticism for trying to act more important than they--an indie pop/rock band who made their name mining '80s influences like New Order and Duran Duran--were thought to be.

So Day & Age is return of sorts to the more light-hearted atmosphere of Hot Fuss. They've trimmed back the big as landscapes sound of Sam's Town (and their beards), turning to dance producer Stuart Price to twirl the knobs on this third album. Price became a name for helming Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor and last year made a very similar sounding album for Seal, System. This year, he seems to be focusing on helping bands blend rock and electronic pop sounds (he co-produced two track's for Keane's recent Perfect Symmetry).

The album's start is promising. "Losing Touch" has a strong '80s new wave vibe in the New Order vein and a touch of horns that hearken to Peter Gabriel's mid-'80s stuff. "Human" is clubbier, but not cold. It has a warm upbeat nature recalling perhaps Pet Shop Boys. Better yet, it seems to mean absolutely nothing--"are we human or are we dancer?" is a literary reference but does it mean anything in the context of the song. Do we even care?

The third track is the album's best highlight. "Spaceman" is a really fantastic song, up there with "Mr. Brightside," "Somebody Told Me," and "When You Were Young" as among their best energetic can't help but move your body moments. Strong synths and guitar strumming propel Flowers through the chorus. He still doesn't have the vocal chops to match the band's ambitious volume level, so his charm has to come from personality, which he easily excudes, especially when singing weird lyrics: "they say the Nile used to run from east to west"--do they now?

The first three songs are instantly likeable--the rest of the album had to grow on me, but thankfully it has. "Joy Ride's" busy percussion section, saxophone and electric guitar recall late '80s pop. If "A Dustland Fairytale" fails to woo you on first listen, give it a second chance. It starts off very sweetly with quiet vocals and piano, then a few strings join in, the guitar, and then the full orchestra. The epic, building song recalls their Sam's Town U2 pretensions. What I can't decipher is whether it is telling a coherent Las Vegas-style rags to riches story or just flashes of it. Either way, it's a good song.

"This Is Your Life" unfurls like a march, propelled by an insistent bass line, drumbeat and chants that recall Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town." The world music influence continues on Caribbean-flavored "I Can't Stay," complete with kettle drum. Normally such Paul Simon-esque influences would turn me off, but the Killers keep these songs rooted in their usual synth-based melodies. The sweet synth line of "This Is Your Life" softens its potentially harder edge, while the synth and sax combo on "I Can't Stay" adds grandeur to the lighter mix.

"Neon Tiger" is the highlight of the album's second half, a new wave ballad not unlike "Smile Like You Mean It" (but brighter) or "Read My Mind" (but more retro). The Killers' love of synth pop is as alive and well as ever on "The World We Live In." Its staccato synth chords recall Cutting Crew's "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight," while its grandeur evokes Pet Shop Boys. Too bad the album ends with such a clunker--the dark and plodding (and nearly 7-minute) "Goodnight, Travel Well."

It's interesting how much other bands try to copy The Killers, given how much the band itself is derivative of so many different sounds--particularly '80s new wave and synth pop greats. It's also interesting how, to me at least, all of their albums have been consistently good. Nothing is perfect, but I can't say that I like the synth-rock of Hot Fuss better or worse than the U2-ish Sam's Town or the wordly synth-pop of Day & Age. Not brilliant, but it's all pretty good.

Best: Spaceman, Human, Losing Touch, Neon Tiger, A Dustland Fairytale, I Can't Stay, This Is Your Life