THE KILLERS: Sam's Town (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

After the dazzling success of "Hot Fuss", The Killers come back two years later with a new opus, "Sam's Town". Named after a hotel/casino in Las Vegas, the band's hometown, the album was well received by the public at the time, a little less so by the critics, even though it was humbly considered by its singer, Brandon Flowers, as "one of the best albums released in the last 20 years". A reflection that will be surprisingly confirmed in 2009 by the readers of Rolling Stone who voted it the most underrated album of the decade.

Listening to the first tracks, the band's habits don't seem to have been shaken up. The vocals are still high, not very melodic and with a limited range, but they are an integral part of the band's identity. The lively titles are still part of the game with notably 'When You Were Young', the ultimate hit of the album with its aerial bridge in its middle and its small crescendo making its effect. The whole is obviously well played, the content varied... But then what do we reproach to this "Sam's Town"?

First of all, many critics have underlined a propensity to be a little too inspired by Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run". And by comparing the two, in spite of the years which separate them and a very different production, it is undeniable that the resemblances are flagrant, particularly this way of doubling the vocal lines and keeping a rather monotonous tone in the high notes (even if the tessitura is not the same between the two singers). Let's talk about the vocals... Brandon Flowers admitted it himself, he used a lot of auto-tune on "Hot Fuss", which he didn't do on "Sam's Town". Well, you can hear it... The failures due to the lack of accuracy are numerous enough and scattered everywhere to make you grind your teeth. We can also add to the grievances the heavy ending of 'Sam's Town', the unpleasant and interminable vocal lines of 'Uncle Jonny' which come to spoil an instrumental part which is nevertheless quite well found, the useless 'Enterlude', 'Exitlude', 'My List', the strange 'Bling' with its weird keyboard lines in the background, etc.

In the end, little or not much positive comes out of this "Sam's Town". To say that listening to it is an ordeal would be an exaggeration, especially as the melodies are often pleasant, but the tracks are almost all tainted by one or several clumsinesses that reduce the listening pleasure. An album undoubtedly released too quickly, lacking rigor from musicians who already saw themselves as too beautiful? - Official website

THE KILLERS

SAM'S TOWN

ISLAND

ROCK