Sampling the critics' reviews from The Killer's sophomore album, Sam's Town, you would think Brandon Flowers was a mysterious lyrical illusionist. And that The Killers best work had already been done in Hot Fuss. In my opinion, both claims would be false, but that is not our subject today. On a rare Monday release, The Killers gave us Day and Age, a new and ridiculous musical collection that gets better every time I listen. Not only does this album field a couple songs waiting to be hit singles, it also can hold its weight all the way through. While one song in the middle drags a hair, other songs such as Spaceman and Neon Tiger clearly make up for the brief drop in pace. Overall, The Killers return to Hot Fuss stylistically, but take their music to new heights. Since their style is usually so over the top anyways, this seems surprising, but with the addition of a few saxophone solos and some world music elements, The Killers make this the most grandiose record of their day.
The lyrics, as always, seem to confuse me a little bit, with Flowers having the same lyrical style as always. While some songs seem to question mankind's existence with a bit of existentialism, others lose me quicker than they begin.
Nonetheless, The Killers are back to their old tricks, adding new ones to their bag. As I sit here watching them play live on Fuse, my faith in their song writing abilities, production, and a knack for the 80's reel me in just as all of their material has and probably will continue to.
Key Tracks
Spaceman
Neon Tiger
This is Your Life
Stars
4 out of 5
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