Sam's Town

The Killers
"Sam's Town"

First came their debut album Hot Fuss. Amazing is a word that doesn't even come close to describing it. It was one of the best albums I've ever heard. I was immediately hooked onto this new band, The Killers. I remember after the last song played on Hot Fuss, the question on my mind was, "Could they do it again?" Well after listening to their new album Sam's Town, the answer to that question is an astounding, "Yeah! Hell yeah!" Not only did they do it again, but I'll even say that Sam's Town surpasses what they did on Hot Fuss! To any Killers' fan anxiously waiting if this will be a mediocre second effort, no need to worry. This album immediately turns up the heat with the opening track Sam's Town, which sets the mood for an experience in music that's unforgettable. The Killers continue to bring their trademark electro-alternative sound, and this time around, they sound a little more mature. It shows the work they put into this album to make what is soon to be a classic. While listening, I noticed a theme of returning to youth in the album, especially on the track When You Were Young which says:

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young
And sometimes you close your eyes and see the place where you used to live
When you were young

There's also lyrics that deal with returning to a love that's lost on the track For Reasons Unknown:

But my heart, it don’t beat, it don’t beat the way it used to.
And my eyes, they don’t see you no more.
My lips, they don’t kiss, they don’t kiss the way they used to,
And my eyes don’t recognize you no more.
For reasons unknown, for reasons unknown.

Another song that dealt with honest lyrics is The River Is Wild, where lead singer Brandon Flowers says:

Should I just get along with myself?
I never did get along with everybody else
I've been trying hard to do what's right
But you know I could stay here all night
And watch the clouds fall
From the sky
Because this river is wild

One word to describe this album is consistent. The good songs are consistent on Sam's Town. You won't have to skip through the CD to find anything worth listening to. There isn't one bad track in this CD. And that is a rare thing in music! Not only that, but it proves that The Killers is a band that's consistent in bringing groundbreaking music.