Review Summary: Take synthpop, add four guys from Vegas with a British twist. Bung in some drums, a piano and guitar or two. Top it off with the distinct tones of Mr. Flowers and there you are. I introduce The Killers.
Considering that I’m writing this review two years after the actual release of this album is a tribute to its quality. However I will not pretend that this was fantastic, as it was not. I’ve heard better albums, but considering that at this time The Killers were virtual unknowns in the world of indie rock n roll they’ve done well.
Long before I’d even heard of Brandon flowers I was happily surfing the music channels on T.V. searching for something in the way of oasis, U2 or Nirvana. To see a video filmed in the Nevada desert with a four-piece band bringing back a distinctly brit-pop sound from across the pond was astonishing. “Somebody told me” was an instant success, very catchy and blending together the very distinct tones of Flowers with some good drumming and impressive guitar from Keuning and Stoermer. Admittedly New Order it was not but there was something that caught my eye and inspired me to shell out ten pounds for the eagerly awaited Hot Fuss.
The real trademark of this album is the synth-pop element that has been salvaged from the vintage efforts of the eighties. Flowers is very comfortable however lets us down with some songs that had filler written all over them. The first half of the album is very good and in “Mr.Brightside” The Killers have released what I can say with hindsight could be their best song. Unfortunately the album always lives in the shadow of this song despite the fact that “All these things that I’ve done” and “Jenny was a friend of mine” both pull their considerable weight. The latter opens the album on a dark, sombre mood but paves the way beautifully for “Mr.Brightside” in which Brandon Flowers excels despite not being a great singer. “Smile like you mean it” is the best example of the synthesising that I have already referred to. Despite being their most popular song in Britain “Somebody told me” is a bit of a disappointment. An average song that does appeal to the more distant of indie fans.
As I said earlier “All these things that I’ve done” is a very good song and epitomises the album and quite rightly remains as one of the bands most popular efforts to date. You might consider this a great overstatement but the lyrics are very impressive in my opinion and I am huge fan. At this point of the album you’ll find yourself greatly anticipating the rest of the album with relish at what has so far been an impressive effort. And then things go slightly off track.
“Andy you’re a star” is littered with meaning and an intriguing storyline but as a song fails to deliver much. “On Top” is catchy at best and “Indie rock n roll” is a bit too slow and ponderous. It’s now that the album is beginning to let us down and this is the filler that I refereed to earlier. “Believe me Natalie” only serves to back up this opinion. Once again it is slow and ponderous with poor vocals. I would have to say that they have overdone the synth as well, but in their defence they were trying to inject a bit more emotion into a song obviously laced with meaning once again. “Midnight show” manages to claw the album back with a more fast-paced, sexually provocative track. Flowers successfully changes his tone several times and is helped a lot by the background instrumentals which are polished as ever.
“Everything will be alright” is a good song, but not strong enough to finish the album. It is salvaged by a pleasant piano solo but fails to deliver the crescendo all of the fans were desperate for. A more effective finish may have been “On Top” for some lyrical meaning or even “Midnight show” for pace and a culmination of The Killers strong indie brit-pop sound.
At an overview Hot Fuss has bags of potential and is sure to draw in fans from all over the world. The killers have already gained something of a cult following in Britain and this album leaves us in anticipation of yet more.
The album is let down by a few poor tracks in the latter parts of the album but one cannot be too critical of an album superbly polished by two of the best songs of the year in “Mr.Brightside” and “All these things that I’ve done”.
Expect lyrics packed with meaning, sadness, and elation. Add some good old-fashioned sex, drugs and rock n roll and there you have it. Hot Fuss welcome to the world of The Killers.
