Front Page Reviews & AIR
The Ultimate Killers Video Playlist
“Mr. Brightside” – Hot Fuss (2004)
“All These Things That I Have Done” – Hot Fuss (2004)
“When You Were Young” – Sam’s Town (2006)
“Read My Mind” – Sam’s Town (2006)
“Dustland Fairytale” – Day & Age (2008)
“Human” – Day & Age (2008)
“Runaways” – Battle Born (2012)
“Here With Me” – Battle Born (2012)
Just saw them again on the Battle Born tour here in Denver. This album is an example of how, sometimes, solo projects get in the way. This band that has made cool, energetic-yet-not-heavy music, moved into a pop-ballad mode that just didn't click this time around. I blame Brandon Flowers' dalliance with Flamingo, which was the genesis of this 'soft pop' version of the Killers. It showed throughout Battle Born, and poked holes in their live show as well. I want more from them next time around. Let's hope this is just a bump in the road rather than a sign of things to come...
For me, it's not so much a stylistic thing, it's more that they've become caricatures of themselves thematically, as my review gets at (http://www.mulevariations.com/reviews/killers-battle-born). "It’s like the band forgot that archetypes are only powerful to the extent that individuals connect with them. And this is why, in order to be powerful, they need to be infused with personal stories which embody them. On their own, archetypes tend to devolve into the kinds of meaningless platitudes and forgettable generalizations that are all over Battle Born." (Yes, I just quoted myself).
Mule Chatter