After much anticipation, the new album by The Killers was released on Monday.
I think a lot of people did the same thing, but when I listened to their first album, I felt a real personal connection to a lot of the songs. This has as much to do with the subject matter (Believe Me, Natalie being a high point, *ba-da-dishhh*) as it has to do with the sheer singalongability the album had. It was all synth and jangles and lovely anthemy stuff. I felt this album was made just for me. But then so did everyone else who listens to XFM.
It was always going to be a struggle to bring out the second album. To my mind, Coldplay are a good example of an insanely successful band who cracked this problem ? A Rush of Blood? was such an insanely good album that it left snarky comparisons to Parachutes in the dust. But Brandon Flowers dd something stupid. He went on record as saying that Sam?s Town was going to be the best album in the world ever, or something. I don?t have the exact quote. But come on man ? don?t create that kind of expectation when you bring an album like Sam?s Town out.
This kind of cocky preamble was always going to leave us disappointed with the real thing. It?s an okay effort, and the reviews are really mixed ? which I think points to the fact that while it?s not shite, it?s not nearly as good as dear Brandon would have had us believe.
Maybe he was too close to the creative process, maybe he?d had Springsteen on loop for too long, but he was wrong.
The album is good, sorta. You can?t fault it in terms of cohesiveness, a critique a lot of people had about Hot Fuss. It?s a proper album, in that it has a couple of singles, some extraneous stuff, and some songs that are just plain uninteresting. ?When You Were Young? is gorgeous, and it set me up for disappointment. I find it?s the first song I play when I listen, in a sort of sad reminiscent way, as it leads me into the rest. ?Bones? is good, it?s sure to be the next single, and then they may crack it lucky if they release ?Sam?s Town? to a sympathetic audience. But there are no secret shining gems, there?s no ?All These Things??, so stunningly aired to the world at Live 8, no ?Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll? for me to be annoyed by and then grow to adore.
It?s sad. What we?re left with is a listenable album, but one devoid of singles for the band to feed off into the Festival time of 2007. Had this been their first album. I can?t say I?d dig this band all this much.
PS I know the top of this post looks funny.
JUST BE HAPPY I BLOGGED! I know you people live on my blog crumbs.
This is a 
Hmmmm... I'm loving Sam's Town right now.
Brandon's quote was that Sam's Town would be the best album released in the last 20 years.
You're right on though. It is more cohesive as an album. It flows from song to song rather than smashing you with single after single (like Hot Fuss did). I think Sam's Town could easily be another Hot Fuss. The melodies are there. The lyrics are there. But compared to Hot Fuss it has a far more complex sound. That's were the difference lies.
In Hot Fuss the songs were stripped down so that the brilliance was in your face. The brilliance in Sam's Town is hidden amongst the folds of orchestral bits and over riding guitar fuzz. They're like little nuggets you've got to really look for and appreciate.
Finally stumbled on your new blog...like it! Gotta get me some of the new Killers though - as per, SA radio not doing to good a job of giving one any real idea. In a way it'd be cool if it's not as 'hit singley' as 'Hot Fuss' though, 'cause love the album, but almost every track got soooo much airplay. Anyway, over and out, lovely weekend lovelies!
Miss Esther! Where've ya been honey? Nice to hear from you again.