I'd agree with this. Everything on BB is better than Day and Age... with maybe the exception of Dustland Fairytale cause that song is great IMO
Fascinating thing: Steven Hydan did a Killers podcast with a guy who thought Day & Age was the best Killers album, aside from "Dustland Fairytale" of which he said "that one's not so good." People have weird opinions.
Haha yeah that's an odd opinion. I think Dustland Fairytale sticks out as being the only interesting song on the album. But then again Human was a huge hit it seems and I think that's probably my least favorite song these guys have written until some on this album. Also I want to add that I do enjoy the stretch of Run For Cover - Some Kind of Love. The rest of the album I don't think I'll ever revisit
Didn't care for The Man at all so the rest of the album was a first listen for me. Run For Cover was pretty instantly up there with my favorite Killers songs but not quite on the level of Dustland Fairytale or Read My Mind (two of my favorite songs ever period) pretty solid though. Lol at any suggestion that Day & Age is better than this (still amazed that Dustland is from that album.) I really like the stretch of Rut through Tyson Vs Douglas. Battle Born is still their best album.
I'm one of the odd balls i guess. I think Day & Age is great front to back and I return to it way more often than Hot Fuss. The one exception is the god-awful closing track. I just pretend that doesn't exist. I also completely avoid Born Again and any songs related to it. And Dustland Fairytale is one of their strongest - and most epic - tracks! How can that guy consider it anything else?! Wow.
My first couple listens, I really didn't care for this. Now I'm about 10 listens in and I've gotta say, I actually really enjoy it. The Man through Out of My Mind is such a great run. Don't really care for the opener or closer though.
"Dustland" is great. I think it's a weaker "best track on the album" than any of their other records have, though. And the only other songs on the album that I'd put in the top Killers tier are "This Is Your Life," "Spaceman," and "Losing Touch."
Can't listen "The Man" anymore.. The Killers were made for dreamy music not cocky funky stuff IMO. Don't get me wrong, not hating the song, pretty badass standalone track but not in the context of WW. Personal Favs so far (the ones I keep spamming) 1. The Calling 2. Tyson vs Douglas 3. Some Kind of Love 4. Out of my Mind / Rut (tie) Skip-able ones 1. The Man 2. Have all the songs have been written
Oh trust me, when I first heard it I couldn't stand it. But as a stand alone track it gets me pumped haha. The Calling hasn't really grabbed me yet. Tyson is my fave song on the album, followed closely by Life to Come, Run for Cover and Some Kind of Love.
I'm beggin you... blast the Opener and The Calling thru some good headphones or car speakers.. You don't know what you're missing The production of the Opener is beyond epic! The Calling had me from the first synth-notes at 0:10 and I really liked the contrast between bluesy-verses and infectious melodic chorus. Tyson is easily the highlight of WW IMO, shame is not a love song :(
8 out 10 for me! I took out "The Man" (I overplayed that song to death) and "Have All the Songs Written" (not feeling it) Today I'm feeling like spamming "Out of My Mind", reminds me so much of Keane (Perfect Symmetry Era)
Well.. tbh that's not a fair comparison, The Killers always had that 80s synth-thingy in their music, Keane on the other hand started as a straight forward piano-rock band and tried to experiment with New Wave synth sounds on 3rd album "Perfect Symmetry" (and everyone hated that) There are more chances that Keane actually got "inspired" by The Killers success cause as we already know, legendary Hot Fuss and Sams Town came out before Perfect Symmetry. What do you think of "The Calling"? Am I the only one who gets some Arctic Monkeys AM album vibes? The bluesy verses and these high pitched R&B back vocals..
I always think of The Killers and Keane together, because both of those first albums came out in 2004 and I was listening to them at the same time. They didn't really sound anything alike at the time, but they both sort of moved toward each other throughout their careers. Strangeland and Battle Born are pretty similar in a lot of ways. I could hear some Arctic Monkeys in "The Calling," definitely. It's one of the songs here I don't feel like I've gotten a handle on yet, lyrically, because it's definitely an outlier. But it's a cool song. I love the little guitar riffs on it.
I swear to God, this album is a different animal on good speakers. Streamed through my Sonos last night and now I think it's one of their best. "Life To Come," "Tyson vs. Douglas" and "Out Of My Mind" sound like all-timers on something with clear highs and deep bass, not to mention how much better "Rut" and "Run For Cover" sound. WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AMEN! Someone listened the album the proper way! A few pages back I was beggin someone to give a listen to the opener track through some good headphones or car speakers. "Wonderful Wonderful" at 4:33, who the fk would have thought that synth-pop-rock stars The Killers would sound HEAVIER than my favorite stoner rockers Queens of the Stone Age (production wise) that fuzz, megaphone vocal effects, distorted drum kit.. argggggg I'M LOVIN IT!
It's great that they made an album that's intensely personal and there are moments that work for me (the first half and especially "Rut"). Overall, it lacks the immediacy of their best work and feels really cloying. It makes sense that he was emailing Bono for support.
I don't know if I would classify Brandon Flowers as a "personal" song writer. He seems to have too much of a passion for a good story and a flair for the dramatic for most of his songs to be directly about him or his life. I would guess there's a lot of "invention" in his lyrics given that he's a married father with a strong mormon faith. That said, becuase his lyrical themes are so grandiose, I'm sure there are nuggets of his personal life that influence them just as there are nuggets of each song that listeners can connect to their personal lives.
He's never been a personal writer until this record, but if you read any interviews, yeah, this album is extremely personal.