thorntonstuart

Unbelievable. I am blown away by just how The Killers have managed such a catastrophic decline.

It seems impossible to any other band. Arctic Monkeys first album, "Everything They Say I Am..." was brilliant. "Favourite Worst Nightmare" was plausible, but Turner knew when to stop and try something new. The Last Shadow Puppets has been a roaring success because it has gone back to that original Monkeys sound with a variation (that being Kane) that has given it a bit of depth, rather than the qwerky, clownish riffs that they had pumped out on "Favourite Worst Nightmare". The Last Shadow Puppets has made people interested in Arctic Monkeys again, wanting to know when they will gig again, wanting to know about the new album.

Now, The Killers were always different. Synth-indie rock was something not widespread anywhere, so it was something new, and "Hot Fuss" had it brilliantly in balance. The guitars and synth were in harmony, and Brandon's voice fitted the songs to perfection.

"Sams Town" pushed the boundaries. It had become a little oversynthed, and Flowers's vocals were clearly on the slide. Now "Sawdust" may have just been like a greatest hits album, along with a couple of B-Sides, and some new stuff to them, but to me, it was the bombshell that killed "The Killers". The new material was completely out of balance, no evidence of the harmonic riffs and songs to remember could be found on that album. It was a complete waste of time. There was no point.

And now, "Day & Age". "Mr Brightside" truly is not a song worth listening to anymore. If you had never heard The Killers before and someone played you "Neon Tiger" then told you that "Smile Like You Mean It" had been released four years previously, you'd ask what the hell happened.

So they tried. But you've got to know when to quit, and now is that time for The Killers. Theyve had their glory days, but it's time to lie down and call it a day.

1/10
"Hot Fuzz" RIP