The Killers - "Wonderful Wonderful"

Ever since their formation in the early 2000's I've always had a soft spot for The Killers.  And that ESPECIALLY goes for their 2004 debut "Hot Fuss".  The tracks on here were just so catchy and animated, not to mention fun.  The bands playing was solid, and front-man Brandon Flowers immediately had such a personality.  From the gigantic amount of singles on this album, I really wasn't too shocked to see The Killers weren't going anywhere anytime soon.  On their 2006 follow-up "Sam's Town", the band went for a much bigger sound, which ended up being a great quality but inevitably ended up making this album a little more forgettable.  Singles like "When You Were Young" and "Bones" remain gigantic, and "This River Is Wild" and "Bling (Confessions Of A King)" are incredible deep cuts.  But that same HUGE sound also lead to a lot of bizarre moments like "My List" and "Sam's Town" which were just so mediocre.  But I kept enjoying The Killers music, mostly because I've always just loved Brandon Flowers' songwriting.   The Killers returned in 2008 with "Day & Age".  By this point, their songs just kept getting bigger and more elaborate, this time with the inclusion of more synths.  This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and it lead to huge tracks like "Joy Ride" and "This Is Your Life".  But the second half of this album was just so unmemorable and showed that The Killers were indeed running out of ideas.  But even with 2012's "Battle Born", The Killers still had a knack for writing seriously catchy tunes.  The first time I heard this album I hated everything about it, especially the band's entire dependence on Synthesizers.  But as time went on, I couldn't help but hum a good chunk of these tracks.  At the end of the day, one thing has always remained true; The Killers and Brandon Flowers write some DAMN good Pop tunes.  Now, to be honest, I wasn't expecting much from these new Killers singles.  But for the most part, they've been pretty damn BIG.  So let's talk about this new Killers album.

(I'm not even gonna lie, I was hooked from the first time I heard this)

This album starts off with this very serene track, heavy on the synths and even heavier on the atmosphere.  Which is honestly, something I really wasn’t expecting to hear.  But there’s some seriously intense stuff here, from those gigantic drums and Brandon’s very cinematic and epic vocals.  I do sort of wish this was more of an upbeat performance, or at least something a little more direct.  I’m just not really used to hearing The Killers in this very slow, sluggish environment dominated by atmosphere and buildup.  And they certainly do it just and all, because this intro does come off very big. But it’s far from what I’ve enjoyed from The Killers in the past.  I will give this credit though, this is all new water for The Killers, but it’s not nearly as enjoyable.  If you’re interested in hearing them branch out into some new territory, then you may just find this really interesting.  And there are some actually really cool elements, like the very cinematic synths as well as some of those bizarre auto-tune vocals.  Thankfully, up next is “The Man” which instantly is much more attention-grabbing.  And while yes, it’s glitzy and probably a little more Pop than Pop Rock, man is it ever catchy.  This one has a sort of sleazy vibe that I can’t remember ever really hearing from Brandon or The Killers in general, but it gives “The Man” a really nice edge.  The groove here is just killer, and while this is totally just so over the top in it’s Pop aspects, it’s exactly where I want to hear The Killers.  I continue to love some of those auto-tuned vocals that just pop in the background occasionally, which almost gives this track a bizarre sort of Daft Punk feel.  Overall, this track is killer.  It’s got some great tongue in cheek humor, and a hook that you’re going to be humming all day.  Now, say what you will about AutoTune.  But when it’s done right, it gives things a futuristic and HUGE sound to it.  “Rut” is much slower, but it certainly gives the spotlight back to Brandon’s very cinematic vocals.  This track overall is beautiful and heartfelt.  And while it isn’t as instantaneous as some of the other tunes here, I have to say, I’m impressed.  I feel like this is what they were going for with the album’s opener, but this is just so much better.  The piano’s are grand, the drums are patient, and the vast atmosphere all work so well for The Killers.  But it’s moments like this that Brandon Flowers comes off at his most dynamic, and he’s one hell of a frontman.  The Killers here are making anthems, and if that’s ok with you, you’re going to dig this.  But there certainly is a teary-eyed, arena ballad feel to this, and that’s just fine by me.  “Life To Come” is up next, and these very slow and powerful tunes continue to be a big success for The Killers.  But let’s be honest, this is the first time The Killers vast atmosphere and epic hooks have remained constant in an album for so long.  When those pounding drums come in and Brandon’s Voice get’s warmed up, this one turns into a ridiculously huge ballad.  But it’s more than just a big sound.  These songs, for the most part, are just so heartfelt, which is something that the Killers have always been iffy at pulling off.  It’s a very human sound, and I’m just so happy to hear it.  The choir that pops in as the heavier instrumentals are just as brilliant, making this one get bigger by the moment.  Plus, this is easily some of Brandon’s more well-crafted lyrics.  I continue to not have a lot of bad things to say about this album at all.

    Now, if you’re into The Killers much more straightforward and explosive, and most importantly catchy material, “Run For Cover” is a must listen.  This is the most upbeat and dare I say intense track on the album.  Even in this environment though, Brandon continues to sound so damn passionate and heartfelt, like every bar on this is one of the more personal of his career.  I just love the driving beat and explosive atmosphere on this one, as well as the wild guitars and icy synths.  What a damn single this is.  Then we get “Tyson Vs. Douglas”, which is honestly a really bizarre twist to this album.  Of all the song topics I thought I would hear, Mike Tyson was far from one of them.  But it’s really not that bad, to be honest.  The synths continue to rule over these tracks, but The Killers in the past few years have gotten continually so much more comfortable with them.  This one, while it starts off slow and weird, picks up quickly into another SynthPop anthem for the ages.  The Killers over the years have come so far from being Rock Stars who knew a thing or two about writing Pop tracks.  They’ve become Pop Rock icons who know what the hell they’re doing.  The intense instrumentals, Brandon’s flooring performance, this track has it all.  And while you would think with all of these overblown tracks this album would be a little more one-dimensional, I really don’t think that’s the case.  “Some Kind Of Love” is up next, which brings in another strong atmosphere and some very serene sounds as well.  This is by far the softest tune here, which I don’t necessarily have an issue with. But why the hell is this track so damn boring?  There isn’t a single moment here that saves me from wanting to take a nap.  Like, when more of the instrumentals pop in, this all of a sudden sounds like a Soft Rock tune ripped out of the 80’s.  Brandon doesn’t sound nearly as passionate or as into some of these lyrics.  I’m all for The Killers hitting us with a softer ballad, but “Some Kind of Love” is just painful.  Not to mention, there are so many elements that just come off so cheesy, which is something that I was so worried about hearing earlier.  On the other hand, “Out of My Mind” has a much more somber tone, but it at least has a little bit more substance to it.  Instantly, I feel like Brandon’s performance is just so much more compelling and heartfelt.  This is just another solidly produced Pop Rock tune.  There’s a big chorus, sweet verses, and tons of epic synths.  And while no, this isn’t as memorable or as bombastic as some of the early tunes here, The Killers are obviously on a BIG roll with this album.   

    But just when I thought I was going to end up loving this album start to finish, The Killers bring in “The Calling”, which is just so damn preachy.  I don’t know why they felt like this track was necessary, but here we are.  The beat here isn’t groovy, exciting, or anything.  It’s quite frankly seriously boring, and that bluesy guitar over it all isn’t doing anyone any favors.  Now, the chorus here at the very least is certainly snappy.  But everything else about “The Calling” is quite frankly boring.  I think there are some seriously interesting ideas here and there, and I think they were certainly onto something using that choir once again.  But overall, this track just doesn’t work for me.  This album ends off with “Have All The Songs Been Written”, which certainly has a very serene atmosphere.  From its intro, It’s not doing too much to keep me awake.  But I do have to say, it’s a very pleasant atmosphere, and Brandon’s performance is incredible.  So while I wish this track was maybe a little bigger and grander, it’s grown on me a lot.  I feel like it’s just an overall decent heartfelt ballad, and it’s rather lovely.  Plus, around the 2-minute mark, when those pouring drums come in, this track certainly does get more epic.  This may not be the perfect finale, but it’s big and beautiful.  

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: "The Man", "Rut", "Life To Come", "Run For Cover"

Genre: Pop Rock / Alternative Rock / Pop

If You Dig This, Check Out: The Killers: "Sams Town", Queens Of The Stone Age - "...Like Clockwork", Arctic Monkeys - "AM", Future Islands - "The Far Field"

Overall Thoughts:  The Killers may have just dropped the best album they've made in years.  The tracks here are catchy, grand, and epic Pop Anthems that can fill any arena.  Now, I would still say there are some major flaws, like just how boring some of the later tunes are.  But as far as performances go, this is filled with plenty of memorable ones.