There was a lot of hype leading up to last week's release of "Sam's Town," The Killers' sophomore album. From rumors of leaked tracks to lead singer Brandon Flowers' own comments regarding the new CD (he told NME Magazine it was one of the best of the past 20 years), everyone had something to say about the band's latest concept.
"Sam's Town" would supposedly be heavily influenced by one of the band's favorite artists, Bruce Springsteen, and while there is a bit of the Boss (and U2) in the album, this fabulous second effort, for the most part, is all Killers in form, sound and lyrics.
The Killers' first album, "Hot Fuss" (2004), was a huge success financially - it sold five million records internationally - as well as artistically. The worst track on the CD was the hit single "Somebody Told Me," and even that was a catchy tune with a great beat for the dance floor.
The Killers' first single on "Sam," "When You Were Young," is another fast track, but with a better focus on Dave Keuning's talents on electric guitar.
The group's synthesized rock sound continues with several tracks on "Sam's Town." The album's titular track keeps up a peppy beat and driving percussion with typically frustrated rock lyrics: "So why do you waste my time?/ Is the answer to the question on your mind?/ And I'm sick of all my judges/ So scared of letting me shine."
Directly following the opening track is an interlude or, as the band calls it, "Enterlude." At a mere 51 seconds long, "Enterlude" is a beautiful little piece featuring Flowers on vocals and playing keyboard.
The Killers' dance tracks include "Bling (Confession of a King)" and "For Reasons Unknown," both reminiscent of their first album and its funky '80s-style sound.
Two other highlights of the album are "This River is Wild" and "Read My Mind." The former shows signs of Bruce Springsteen's lyrical influence on The Killers, as Flowers sings, "And pain is hell on me tonight/ Because this river is wild/ God speed your boy."
"Read My Mind" flourishes with combined vocals of several band members and nice contrasts between gentler verses and an energetic chorus.
Another highlight of "Sam's Town" is "Bones," which will be the second single released off the CD. The band takes on a new edge with this track, using the musical stylings of Tommy Marth on saxophone and Neeraj Khajanchi on trombone, while maintaining their wonderfully retro sound and Flowers' personal vocal flavor.
The album's penultimate track, "Why Do I Keep Counting?," is an impressive and desperate cry for help, as are many of the band's songs. For those who buy the album in the store, "Sam's Town" ends on a high note with "Exitlude." Those who pre-ordered the album on iTunes received a bonus track: "Where the White Boys Dance," but those who didn't pre-order aren't missing much.
The Killers operate in extremes. When they're good, they're great. But when they're bad, they're awful.
"Uncle Jonny" and "My List" are extremely disappointing in comparison to the rest of the tracks, with Flowers seemingly drifting along through the song, lacking clarity and direction.
These two songs, though, are the only real blemishes on an otherwise very good album. Since hearing all of the hype, "Sam's Town" could be anything, from precisely what you expected to something far worse.
It certainly isn't one of the best releases of the past 20 years, but like its sophomore effort, the band showed it can still put out some "killer" songs.
