Album Review: The Killers - Day And Age

The Killers have always had a knack for standing out. Whether it be from their odd song “Somebody Told Me” off of their Debut album Hot Fuss or their interesting marketing of lead single “When You Were Young” from Sam’s Town, The Killers have something about them that make the average listener stop, at least for a moment, and pay attention.

For the most part, though, it’s only been a moment; despite having a large cult following and being critically recognized for their two albums, the public at large have mostly refused to latch on to the group from Nevada. Call it a lack of interest in the particular genre or not enough universal appeal in their singles, but The Killers are usually passed over for other artists. The biggest example for this is the release of their 3rd album, Day & Age, which has not gotten the publicity it deserves because it was released on the same day as Kanye West and Ludacris, and a day after the most anticipated music album of this generation, Guns N Roses’ Chinese Democracy.

However, anyone who skips over this album is missing out, because after compiling two CDs that were filled with hit-or-miss songs, Day & Age is The Killers’ first album to consistently deliver good song after good song full of aesthetically pleasing music and thought-provoking lyrics.

Their first single, “Human,” is a good indicator of the entire album: interesting lyrics that probe more of the mind than earlier material, more synthesizer-influenced music, and less vocoder work on Brandon Flowers’ vocals. The overall treatment of the album is helped by these changes.

As in past albums, The Killers offer a range of different moods for their songs: there are the fast-paced, 80s era songs such as “Spaceman” and “Joyride,” and there are the epic, sweeping songs such as “Dustland Fairytale,” “The World We Live In,” and “Goodnight, Travel Well.” The difference between this album and albums of the past is that the epic songs actually come off as such: with “Goodnight” and “Dustland,” the music and building up of Flowers create a mood that past songs such as “Sam’s Town” failed to invoke.

It is this mood that creates the tone of the album: by seamlessly going from track to track, the 42 minutes of music is a relatively smooth ride, with no songs that kill the album’s momentum. The mood is equally helped by the musical styling of David Keuning and Mark Stoermer and the surprisingly adept lyrics of Flowers. Songs such as “Spaceman” and “The World We Live In” have the lyrical and vocal strength to carry the song by themselves but are especially aided by the extra musical accoutrements, which besides synth include sax solos and violins.

Past efforts from The Killers have not quite reached top album status because they have lacked a true complete feel, even Sam’s Town’s attempt to bookend the album with similar tracks. This album has a natural flow to it, however. That along with the good lead-off single in “Humans” gives The Killers a chance to keep the public looking for more than just a moment.

Total Scoring:

Replayability: (19/20) Even after the rock stations inevitably run “Human” into the ground (as they’re starting to already), there are still plenty of songs worth listening to several times over – the whole album, essentially.

Music: (18/20) I think using Flowers’ true voice, despite revealing some of the singer’s off-key moments, was a good move for this album, especially on “Human,” as it makes the song seem more approachable. Also, the synthesizer and overall musical treatment really captures the mood of each song.

Lyrics: (18/20) Much like the music, the lyrics of each song are complementary and surprisingly good (I say surprisingly because these are the same guys who talked about someone’s boyfriend looking like a girlfriend). Flowers seems to have hit his songwriting peak on his third album.

Completeness: (19/20) Again, this is the strength of this album compared to previous efforts. In both Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town, a series of good songs would build up the album’s momentum and then a bad song or two completely halted the process. That does not happen on this CD, as even the songs that are not great are still enjoyable and do not hurt the album’s flow.

Emotional Pull: (16/20) “Human” and “Spaceman” have lyrics that touch the listener and pulls them in, but it is the grandiosity of the final two tracks that truly make an impact on the listener emotionally. The build-up of “Goodnight, Travel Well” hits a climax that literally made me stop to catch my breath.

Total Score: 90

Grade: A-

Day & Age has marked an increase from Sam’s Town, which was in turn slightly better than Hot Fuss. If this growth is any indication, we have yet to see the best of The Killers.

Check, Check Plus, X
Losing Touch √+
Human √
Spaceman √+
Joyride √
A Dustland Fairytale √+
This Is Your Life √
I Can’t Stay √
Neon Tiger √+
The World We Live In √+
Goodnight, Travel Well √+

Next up, I will review one of this album’s competitors on the release date of November 24. Kanye West has conquered every facet of the entertainment world that he has encountered. How did he do on his auto-tuned album? Well, you can either listen to it to find out or wait until the grade is handed out. Should be tomorrow, or Friday if the turkey puts me into a coma.

Sit tight til the next grade,
RRC