Are The Killers Really Born for Battle?

So this album review has been a long time coming. I have listened to this album multiple times trying to find the exact words for how exactly I feel about it. But, before we jump into their newest work let’s take a moment to look at my history with them. I loved The Killers debut album "Hot Fuss" when it debuted back in 2004, hell I did a cover of Smile Like You Mean It (which you can view here). Granted as they started evolving as a band I found myself slowly but surely jumping OFF the band wagon. "Sam's Town" only had a few songs that I liked while their next album "Sawdust" only found its way to my ears through the final piece of the murder trilogy Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf, which if you have not had a chance to listen it's cool to hear what inspired the name of the band. Eventually they released "Day & Age" which brought them back into the pop world with songs like Human and Spaceman but for internal reason the band called for a hiatus in January 2010. Brandon Flowers' pursued his own solo career releasing the album "Flamingo" to luke warm/positive reception. The band reassembled on stage in April 2011 playing in the International Lollapalooza Festival and returned to the studio in May 2011 recording for a year in hopes of releasing an album better than their earlier pursuits. And did they succeed? Well let's dive right into this album and find out!

To be up front and honest I dislike this album. I find it vapid, overproduced and a tad melodramatic. At least... that's how I originally felt. While this album does have its problem you can definitely tell the heart and care that was given when recording and producing it (some songs produced by the band themselves). So to start off I will say that the my biggest problem with this album is it seems to overdo a lot. For example, in the songs "Runaways," "Here With Me" and "Flesh and Bone," Brandon Flowers seems to devolve into wailing his words and even some "ooo's" and "Ah's." This sometimes can cause it too be too much to really handle and you may find yourself skipping to the next song which leads into my next problem.

 EVERY TIME A SONG ENDS THEY FEEL THE NEED TO RESTART THE MOMENTUM THEY GAIN. The worst example of this is after the stand out track "From Here On Out" that has a upbeat and very southern-type rock riff only to be followed by "Be Still" the slowest song on the album next to "Heart of a Girl." Though a good song in it's own right you may find this album to be less of an one you listen to in one sitting and instead an album you listen to in spurts whenever you crave a single song. Another standout bad song is "Deadlines and Commitments" which does not gain much momentum inside of it though it does find itself occasional subject to wailing through Brandon Flowers' which leaves the only track I feel you should trash on this album.

Probably the most standout tracks on the album are "From Here On Out," "Heart of a Girl," "The Way It Was." From Here On Out" as I stated stands out by being the only song to really kick start and takes what momentum the last song kicked up and run with it. Sadly, this song is the shortest on the album only clocking in at 2:27 but by the last chorus you'll find yourself singing along. "Heart of a Girl" is a slow song done right on this album. Starting with a very nice bass groove as the vocals croon about meeting a girl, staying up for hours listening to her insecurities and lamenting on the state of people today it is my favorite track on the album. While the song "The Way It Was" does a great job of riding that line of overdone and near perfection with Brandon Flowers' bringing his "A" game shows great control over his louder moments not allowing for the wailing you'll find in this album. Another song I strongly suggest for vocal/ballad lovers out there is "Be Still" as Brandon Flowers hits some notes in there I had no idea he had control over showing how far he has come since the day of "Hot Fuss."

In all I disliked this album to begin with but after a few in-depth listens I can say that this album features beautiful instrument spaces, some great standout vocal moments, and a return of The Killers that I'm hoping brings them forward in a positive direction as a band because some of the problems with this album (wailing vocals, shallow lyrics, over-production) could definitely cause an issue in the future. But here's to Battle Born maybe not the return we all thought we wanted but definitely and album worth checking out!

Next time, we'll take a look at a new artist who took America by storm with it's unique brand of rock in 2012. I'm of course speaking of Fun.'s Some Nights!

Buy it!:The Way It Was, A Matter of Time, Miss Atomic Bomb, Heart of a Girl, From Here On Out, Carry Me Home

Hear it!: Flesh and Bone, Runaways, Here With Me, The Rising Tide(hardcore), Be Still, Battle Born, Prize Fighter

Trash it!: Deadlines and Commitments