In my late teens and during most of my twenties, I would hang out downtown almost every week, just to shop, go to the movies or simply just to walk around the mall. I liked being downtown. I enjoyed the effervescence, the stores, the restaurants. On every trip, I would unmistakably make a stop at the now closed HMV record store where I would roam around for hours, perusing the latest album and DVD releases and look for something new to listen to and/or to watch. And every time, I would excitedly walk out of that store with a list of films or TV series to rent at Blockbuster on my way home and a few CDs in my hands, most of which were usually picked at random, to listen to alone in my room. More often than not, the albums are just okay, but every now and then, I would stumble on something I would just fall in love with, songs that would stick with me for a long time. That’s how I fell in love with Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, The Shins, and so much more. That’s also how I stumbled on an album called Hot Fuss. That album by a Vegas band called The Killers, as well as its follow up, Sam’s Town, and to a lesser degree Day & Age, their third album, turned out to be the soundtrack of my twenties.
I’ve always considered myself a casual music listener. I usually fall in love with a song that I would obsessively listen to for a while. Rare are albums I would lend an ear to from beginning to end without skipping over at least half the tracks, and even rarer are the ones I would play over and over again, let alone throughout years. That’s why I’m writing about The Killers today. They were that exception.
A LOT of people look down on The Killers, often likening them to Bon Jovi or even Nickelback for one reason or another, but I disagree. Sure, there are probably much better bands out there, but it just so happened that I stumbled on them (or that their first album was released) at the right time in my life for them to have a lasting impact. Their music resonated with me.
The very moment I popped that red CD in my player and heard Mr Brightside play, I was hooked. I played Hot Fuss over and over for almost 2 years. It always managed to cheer me right up, after a long and frustrating day at school or at work, exorcising bad feelings, helping me clear my mind and move on with my day. Hot Fuss was released in 2004 and two years later The Killers released Sam’s Town, which I consider the best album the band has and will ever produce, even though every one at the time of its release trashed it because of how stylistically different it was from the first album. Sam’s Town is the only album I’ve ever enjoyed from beginning to end without skipping a single song. And again, I played it obsessively every chance I got. At that time, I had already moved out of the family home and I finally had cable. Being able to get channels like Much Music and the BBC solidified my attachment for the band, as I was able to watch their very weird but entertaining music videos and live performances (their Royal Albert Hall concert was one their best shows). I mention the BBC because The Killers, though an American band, was never really that popular in North America. In the UK, on the other hand, they are huge and they’ve made countless appearances at the Brit Awards. Mr Brightside spent almost 5 years on UK’s top 100, so that’s something.
In 2008, they released Day & Age. Again, there were great songs I listened to on repeat, like Human, Spaceman and Dustland Fairytale, but that album was the last Killers album I liked. They made 2 more after that, with a bunch of solo projects in between. I gave them all a casual listen and they were all okay, but I quickly came to the conclusion that their best years were probably already behind them. After some time, The Killers were progressively sent at the back of my mind, until this year.
I am writing about them today because their 6th album came out not so long ago. I didn’t want to listen to it at first because I didn’t want to be disappointed again. They had such a great presence during my twenties that I did not want to tarnish the good memories they are linked to. But, curiosity got the better of me and I played Imploding the Mirage. I did not love it at first but I did not hate it either. Something about the melodies made me go back and listen to the songs again. And again. They progressively grew on me and all of a sudden, I realized that I’ve exclusively listened to that album for the past few days. I am writing about The Killers because as I listened to Imploding the Mirage, a wave of nostalgia came over me. It brought me back to simpler times. It made me go back to their first 3 albums and their songs have played on a continuous loop on my IPhone for the past week. And all over again, I became a Killers’ fan as I rekindled with their music.
Are they over the top? Of course they are. The Killers have never been about subtlety and nuance. But they are nonetheless master song writers and their chorus are catchy as hell. Their songs were not written to be played on the radio or on Spotify. Their songs are anthemic, bombastic, grandiose, flamboyant productions meant to be performed in arenas and stadiums.
I cannot pinpoint what exactly made me love this band more than any other. Is it the music? The lead singer, Brandon Flowers’ wide vocal range? The fact that for some reason, they always seem out of place? I don’t know. All I can tell is that their music cheered me up when I was down and kept me upbeat when I am in a good mood. An emotional catharsis, if you will. And in a time like the year 2020 when everything seems to be gone to shit, and we need something to overwhelm the screaming in our heads, why not make it The Killers’ blustering music and Brandon Flowers’ soaring voice?
A short and non comprehensive album by album overview
I will only discuss the albums I liked: Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town, Day & Age and Imploding the Mirage.
Hot Fuss
Released in 2002, their first album launched the band into superstardom. Mr Brightside was the debut single that caught everyone’s attention and skyrocketed the band’s career. That song was also the first one that the band wrote. Actually, before they even met, Dave Keuning, the guitarist, had a melody he kept playing. He knew it was special but didn’t know what to do with it. Brandon Flowers, on the other hand, wrote the lyrics to a song as a reaction to a difficult breakup after he caught his girlfriend cheating on him. When they met, they put the two pieces together and out came the brilliant Mr Brightside.
Favorite songs in this album :
Mr Brightside
Change your mind
Smile like you mean it
Somebody told me
Sam’s Town
Their much anticipated second album was released in 2004. To everyone’s surprise, they did not stick with the pop/ synth wave sound that so characterized Hot Fuss and instead did a full 180 with a grittier, rock sound. While in Hot Fuss they were clean cut boys in snazzy suits singing about girls and having fun, they became, in Sam’s Town, scruffy, bearded cow boys singing about Americana and the hardships of life. Rolling Stone magazine tanked the album before its release and all other critics followed suit. That change in sound and appearance did upset quite a few people. Personally, I believe this is their best album ever. And I’m not the only one. In 2006, Rolling Stone did a survey among its readers, asking them which are the most underrated albums of the decade. Sam’s Town topped the poll at number 1. For the album’s 10th anniversary, some magazines went back on their initial review to admit that the album was in fact a lot better than their critiques let on. To this day, The Killers maintain that despite the tepid reception it got, Sam’s Town is their favorite album and the one they are the most proud of.
Favorite songs in this album :
Sam’s town
Read my mind
When you were young
For reasons unknown
Bones
Day & Age
Released in 2008, Day & Age was a lot more pop and playful than the previous 2 albums. Their lead single, Human, caused quite a stir with lyrics no one could decipher : “are we human, or are we dancer?”, causing some debate as to what the words actually mean. The album in itself received mixed reviews., but Dustland Fairytale is one of my favorite songs ever.
Favorite songs in this album :
Human
Spaceman
Dustland Fairytale
This is your life
Imploding the Mirage
For their 6th album, only 2 band members remain : Brandon Flowers (singer, keyboard) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr (drums). They had moved away from their hometown Las Vegas, collaborated with several artists such as Lindsey Buckingham and K.D. Land and although creating a Killers album without two of their original members, guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer, proved to be a considerable challenge, they have shown that truly great things can be made when facing adversity. Brandon Flowers’ talents as a lyricist and his powerful voice, Ronnie Vannucci’s epic drumming, as well as their trademark roaring crescendos, make this album an absolute pleasure to listen to.
Favorite songs in this album :
My own soul’s warning
Caution
Blowback
My God
I usually share their official music video, but since the album was put together in great part during quarantine, I thought it’d be fitting to share their rendition of Caution from their studio, filmed as part of their promotional talk show tour from home.
Alright. That’s all I wanted to say on the matter. This is probably the only music review I’ll ever do, and now I’m gonna go back to trying to find something interesting to watch on TV now. I heard Raised by Wolves and Hitmen are good…