Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the lyrical content is mostly harmless, except for the song "Uncle Jonny," which is about someone addicted to cocaine.
Families can talk about why The Killers underwent a change. Was it necessary? How did it affect their music? You can also discuss how music from the '80s has influenced the band.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kerwin So
The Killers, the golden boys of the rapidly fading retro dance-band craze, sold an amazing five million copies of their debut album Hot Fuss. Naturally, everyone was curious to see what their next move would be, especially since even the band didn't think the sound would stay hot for long. Enter the clichéd Complete Image Makeover: expensive new wardrobe, arty photographer, accomplished record producers -- the works. Did it pay off? Not at all. The Killers were smart enough to refer to legends like Springsteen and U2 for inspiration in forging a new sound. But they're just not talented enough to pull it off.
The Killers' sheer attitude (fronted by lead singer Brandon Flowers' gargantuan ego) was one of the things that made Hot Fuss enjoyable, particularly in the three or four tracks that really shone (e.g., "Mr. Brightside"). But the band tried to grow up too fast and the result is SAM'S TOWN, an album filled with unruffled dusty stories grounded in their native Nevada desert; tales of heartbreak, wandering, weariness, and (in a rather obvious tune about a cocaine-addicted relative), plain squalor.
There are a few problems with this. First, the band is simply still too young to sing credibly about nostalgia or mortality. Second, the songs lack much of the edge and dynamics they once possessed (one exception: "This River Is Wild"). And finally, the new emphasis on Flowers' vocals reveals that he's primarily limited to two ranges: petulant whine and petulant yelp.
The Killers' debut album made it clear that they spent a lot of their adolescence inside their bedrooms listening to Duran Duran and New Order, rather than hitchhiking and gambling. There's nothing wrong with that -- unless, of course, you try to convince the whole world otherwise. The band deserves credit for breaking so defiantly from the sound that made them. But after listening to Sam's Town, you'll probably wish they hadn't.
Fans of The Killers might also want to check out The Bravery, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and The Strokes.
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Sexual Content"Bones" laments "Don't you want to feel my skin on your skin." |
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Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco"Uncle Jonny" talks about being addicted to cocaine; "Where the White Boys Dance" mentions having a drink. |
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