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Underground > Radio & Music >

The Killers: Sam's Town

Jawsus-son Starship

12:57 / 11.09.06

So it's what, two years since Hot Fuss debuted and we're begining to get the hype for the new album, Sam's Town. Radio 1 presented Friday night's special concert from Blackpool; the set has now been put up for a listen on their website, and includes many new tracks off the new album.

So having heard the new stuff, what are people's oppinions? Who's got the anticpation sweats about the album, who couldn't care less? I'll start the ball rolling - motherfuckers new song sounds like U2. And I like it.

Kali, Queen of Kitteh

14:01 / 11.09.06

I'll defend the Killers to the death. I like some of my rock'n'roll to be this catchy even if it is so accessible.

Love the new single. In fact, it look me a few minutes to go, "Heyyyyy....is this the Killers?"

Jawsus-son Starship

18:36 / 11.10.06

Anyone else digging this. It's a bit hmmm... The better tracks rival songs like "midnight show" from the first album; "this river is wild" is oone of these. Mulitlayered, comes at three different angles, feels like three books that bounce off of each other. The next single "Bones" is inspired by Queen, if inspired now means massively ripping off and indebted too. This is not a bad thing, as the song in question is damn catchy. "For reasons unknown" has been bouncing around my noggin for days now.

However, there are some problems; Brandon Flowers voice grates on "Uncle Johnny", the slow tracks are poor second listners which get dull quickly. And the album falls apart with a weak back three tracks, or back two, depending on wheter we count "where the white boys dance". So - as good as Hot Fuss. Not as good as Hot fuss? Too early to say, but too tasty to deny.

I'm enjoying it though.

Kali, Queen of Kitteh

19:08 / 11.10.06

The title track is my theme song for today.

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

05:48 / 12.10.06

Money's tight, so I won't be buying it--have considered stealing it. Enjoyed Hot Fuss for a while, so I'm interested in this and would like to hear some opinions.

12:43 / 12.10.06

Well, I really enjoyed Hot Fuss, but find Sam's Town unlistenably dreary. I keep getting bored and turning it off.

The whole sounding-like-U2 thing does relatively little for me. It has the whole bombast thing going, fine, but... the band behind it seem so weedy. And whilst Brandon Flowers' voice is an ongoing turn-off, the lyrics are abominable.

I mean, I just put Bones on to jog my memory, which is a terrible song, and it contains this gem:

"down to the ocean
it's only water and sand
and in the ocean
we'll hold hands"

It puts New Order to shame, and as a huge New Order fan despite their rhyming-dictionary lyrics, that's saying something.

And, on top of that, When You Were Young annoys me more with every instance of radio airplay it gets. And the video... ugh. Nope, I find the whole second album highly disappointing.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

12:55 / 12.10.06

I wish I'd known what the cover for this looked like before I entered the pub music quiz on Tuesday...

Kali, Queen of Kitteh

13:07 / 12.10.06

Sorry...I like it. Not as much as Hot Fuss, but I like it.

11:13 / 12.01.07

Hello darlings, thought I'd chip in with some notes.

Enterlude and Exitlude: they're the same song, yeah, but they're from the heart like a good fucking drunken pub song; boisterous and a little over-sentimental (in a good way).

Bling (Confessions of a King) is about a gambler run out of town disguised as a cowboy epic.

The choral chanting on Bones sends shivers up my spine. Every time.

The weakest point on the album is For Reasons Unknown which just seems to be missing something. It just never hits you screaming "remember meee!".

Why Do I Keep Counting I didn't even register the first time round but now, wow. "I wouldn't keep bothering you, FATHER!" Fantastic imagery evoked. Lost deserts and empty plane rides to find oneself. And maybe you won't do it. Maybe your time is already up. But you're gonna try and climb the mountain of life anyway. Beautiful.

Sam's Town is a bit of a lie. It starts of with fantastic synthesiser two-set, and you're thinking, "shit, this is going to rival Smile Like You Mean It" then goes into a rock beat which feels out-of-synch with the lyrics - at first, at least. However, once you listen it a few times and you can link the lyrics with the opening guitars it fucking grows!

Which, being the title track, it kind of sums up the album Sam's Town perfectly. It's a grower. I doubt most people will like this on the first go, I didn't, but it's got gems in there.