Album Review: The Killers' "Sam's Town"

The Killers are back with their sophomore release, Sam's Town, the follow up to their 2004 mega-hit Hot Fuss. The album, which is stylistically similar to their freshman offering (the glittering keyboard, heavily strummed guitar and soaring vocal lines are all still there -- and still begging to fill a stadium), but it is also similarly flawed. For a band that was too glamorous to stay in Vegas (too much eyeliner, maybe?), this album just may be too glamorous to stay on the charts.

More of the Same

The Killers are a band that intends to keep their fans happy, and this time they've gone about trying to do so by adding a number of mainstream influences that have been successful on the charts in the past (you'll hear a heavy sampling of Bruce Springsteen alongside their Queen impressions.)

This is still a Killers' album though, and despite promises of a "more American sound" than on Hot Fuss, lead singer Flowers still sounds like a mid-90s Britpopper (think Rick Witter of Shed 7) when he wails and belts. And because this is a Killers album, there is enough cheery organ to accompany a church service. (Though probably one in a Las Vegas chapel.)

If Hot Fuss was infamous for being only half an album -- with all the good tracks crammed in the first half of the CD (so if you had to leave halfway through to buy some milk you wouldn’t really miss much) -- Sam's Town is the other half. Only, this time, they spread the good songs out over the album so there’s only enough time to make a cup of tea in the spaces between the good tunes.

Highlights

Title track, "Sam’s Town," despite its stadium-sing-along middle, is strong. Alongside "When You’re Young" (the first single) and "Bones," which both sound like refugees from the last album, listeners will definitely be able to get through the rest of the album's filler. Also, "Why Do I Keep Counting," despite being essentially a Brian May impression, is a track worth adding to a (short) "Best of Killers" mix.

Lowlights

"Bling (Confessions of a King)" and "Uncle Johnny" both try to sound like The Cure but fail. As Brandon struggles to sing far out of his limited range the listener suffers. Greatly.

"Read My Mind" and "Reasons Unknown," to make matters worse, are overstated attempts at sounding like an understated Springsteen.