Wonderful Wonderful
Island
Sep 26, 2017
Web Exclusive
The Killers are the kind of band that will likely always have a following. That’s just how mega of an album Hot Fuss was when it came out in 2004. The record has sold over seven million copies worldwide to date, is still on rotation in many circles, and still brings masses to see them perform. The band played over 140 shows in support on their last album, 2012’s Battle Born, despite the album not having too many memorable singles. But does having a built in following slowly but surely soften your edge? Do the lasting hits of your great album always hover over new songwriting? These are fair questions considering that nothing The Killers have released post Hot Fuss has recaptured anything as blisteringly sexy as any of that album’s classic songs.
Believe me, I want to get excited for The Killers again. I want to sing along to songs like “Smile Like You Mean it” or “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” (both from Hot Fuss) as I get ready to go out at night. Their new album Wonderful Wonderful offers nothing of the like. In fact the best songs are the ballads. “Some Kind of Love” is a pretty ode to a lover and Brandon Flowers’ still true voice clings to the rope between defeat and resilience on album closer “Have All the Songs Been Written?”
It’s slim pickings apart from those two. Single “The Man” is paltry alt-disco drek and even when the band tries to show muscle on “Run for Cover” and “The Calling” there’s no impact. Some bands that have been around a while fall into the trap of over-enhancing their production value and wind up polishing out all the distortion and imperfection that made their early work so compelling. Sure, Hot Fuss wasn’t exactly gritty, but there was a primal fiber to its flashy guitar and power synth rock. Despite a committed effort, Wonderful Wonderful isn’t a title that accurately reflects its content. It’s unfair to want The Killers of 2004, but it might be easier to move on if they were still making good albums in 2017. (www.thekillersmusic.com)
Author rating: 3/10
Average reader rating: 7/10
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November 7th 2017
9:25am
I don’t often comment on reviews of other people’s opinions, you’re entitled to that. After reading your take, I disagree with the view you had on this album. I’m not a biased fan of The Killers, but you follow in the same trend as a lot typical music journalists I read. Why hold them so closely to Hot Fuss? You barely mention Sam’s Town, not even Sawdust or Battleborn. You sound horribly uneducated. I’m guessing you were excited to just trash this, weren’t you?
January 17th 2018
10:49pm
:p