Later this year, The Killers will realease their first album since 2008. Since the news emerged, I've been revisiting their older catalogue, from Hot Fuss to Sawdust. Then suddenly, Brandon Flowers' solo album came to my mind.
...and I have to admit, I like it much better now than I did when it came out. Back then, it was too poppy. It had everything I didn't like about Day & Age. Too many synths, piano and no guitars. Well, listening to it now, I actually enjoy it for the same reasons I love all the Killers' albums. Even on his own, Brandon Flowers can still write big melodies. Besides, the lead single Crossfire hasn't aged a day and is still absolutely fantastic.
Nevertheless, here's to hoping that the new album's gonna be a lot more like Sam's Town. I can't wait...
For me, the catalog would go: Sam's Town>Hot Fuss>Flamingo>Day & Age. The latter has really been growing on my lately, and has some killer (no pun intended) tracks on it, but it also has a few throwaways. Here's hoping that Battle Born is their masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteMy list: Sam's Town >>> Day & Age (even though it was a big letdown at first, it has grown on me a lot, and I absolutely love Losing Touch) > Flamingo > Hot Fuss (it has a few killer tracks but the rest is mediocre IMHO, I hardly ever listen to it from start to the end)
DeleteAccording to Flowers, the album's gonna have "great stories told through real rock music" and "a more guitar-heavy sound" according to the drummer... I'm still a little sceptical about that though. :)
Hot Fuss in last? I think you're the only person I've ever seen do that. I think a single track drifts into mediocre territory ("Everything Will Be Alright"), but that's something I feel about each Killers album, so it doesn't bother me much. Beyond that, the first five tracks are legitimately perfect, and "Change Your Mind" and "Midnight Show" are both terrific as well. I still listen to it with "Under the Gun" and "Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll" inserted, and I think they make it a much better record overall.
DeleteAs for stories told through rock music, they've been doing that all along: the Jenny trilogy and piece of Sam's Town fit into that. And the guitars were what I missed on Flamingo, so I'm fine with that too.