The Killers / Brandon Flowers

Originally posted by vanquish:From my first listen it sounds like a TERRIBLE album.

There is way too much hamfisted religious imagery - and the lyrics are absolutely shocking in many places.

The actual songs sound very similar to each other and most of the melodies aren't that strong, the choruses are in many cases quite weak - especially for The Killers. The instrumentation is very bland and generic too (though I liked the synth line on Only the Young)

Definitely a massive disappointment - I don't even think I particularly liked a single song. And the fact that I've been listening to The Suburbs for the past month (which is absolutely brilliant) didn't help.

The Killer's definitely seem to be on the way out, first Day & Age which was not a great album and now this. They're definitely going the other way compared to Arcade Fire or CP etc. which are getting better with each album.

Originally posted by Yogi:[..]

Can't agree more. Instrumentation is the worst part of it, everything seems to quiet, gray and without any contrast.

And yes, The Suburbs is brilliant.

Unfortunately, however, even by the standards of someone who famously sang "are we human or are we dancer?", the lyrics have a slightly dashed-off feel and then some. "Heart and pain came pouring down / like hail, sleet and rain, yeah, they're handing it out," is bad enough, but by the time we reach the stuff about the Devil's fiery arrows we're practically in the realm of My First Slightly Goth Poem.

In fact, the primary problem with much of this record comes from the writing itself. One can appreciate that Flowers' beliefs are enormously important to him (indeed, they've arguably been the one constant in his time in the public eye), but this is his most concerted effort yet to reflect that in his music, what with hallelujahs here, chosen lands there, and allusions of prayer spattered throughout, and, while it's a bold effort, there's plenty in the way of prior work that proves what awkward bedfellows rock and religion can be if you can't apply the gravitas of a Nick Cave or the poetic flair of a Paddy McAloon, and, to be honest, there's a definite sense of overreach here. Moreover, when he's not in testifying mode, Flowers repeatedly attempts to mythologise his – and this'll be that Springsteen affection again – home town, rather bluntly on 'Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas', with a mixed-results-producing magical realism on 'Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts', and in confusingly unfocussed fashion on 'Playing With Fire' (the "charcoal veins" bit sort of works, but the "river of truth / fountain of youth" references come unusually unwelcomely from left field).

...

Otherwise, Flamingo is an album horribly hamstrung by its ill-placed predilection for being A Very Important Thing Indeed, whereas what it actually is is a disinteresting folly from someone who's more than capable of full-blown pop excellence if only he'd content himself with biting that particular bullet. He's recovered from similar missteps before, of course, but we can only hope his bandmates steer a wiser course when they reconvene; meanwhile, what remains is an album that's all filler, no Killers.

Originally posted by vanquish:
WTF How can a valley cry?

Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]

Maybe you don't know her, Lyndon, but here I present you one of the most wonderful creations of the human mind:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry

Originally posted by wangmaster:[..]

ZING!

in other news, apparently most of the UK shows sold out within a couple of minutes. damn.

Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

That is not a zing

But yes, lines like that are poetry - the thing is they're terrible poetry!

'Poetry' is not an excuse for things not making sense.

Originally posted by u2spear:[..]

Explain: "your'e a baby's fist" please...

and what the hell is 'Zoo Station'

A little uptight, you're a baby's fist