The Killers Album: “Hot Fuss”

To the list of bands in the last few years that sound blatantly retro and are quite good at it (the Strokes, Interpol, the Darkness, Franz Ferdinand, etc), add the Killers to the list...

Hot Fuss is a fantastic debut cd that updates 80s music and toughens it up for modern times. The first single, Somebody told Me, reminds me a lot (at least lyrically if nothing else) of the catchiness of Blur's Boys and Girls. In a lot of ways this band is like a more-fun version of the Stills (who I also love), even though lyrically the music can often be quite dark.

There are a ton of stand-out tracks here, beginning with the first one, which is one of the best. My other favorites are two, three, four, and seven, although honestly even the worst tracks here are worth listening to.

One interesting note... a lot of people I have played this for assume that this band is British. Not so... with the Darkness and Franz Ferdinand stealing some thunder from the Strokes and the Stripes, score this as a win in USA's column.

A debut album thats catchy, lyrically meaningful, musically dense, and non-cheesily retro (even with synths involved)... what can I say, except that I can't wait for the follow-up album.

There are a lot of mixed reviews that you'll find here. And all of the reviews are extremely one sided, they either love em, or they hate em. I thought I'd throw in my two cents and try and give a somewhat unbiased review.

In all honesty, this genre, or pop, pretty much any music "fad" is normally the last thing I'd ever think about buying when I go to a record store. And yes, I'll agree with a lot of these people that hate The Killers in the fact that they probably aren't the most talented musicians. No graduates from Julliard here. But the music is incredibly catchy, and you have to give them respect simply because they can come up with something that a lot of people like, and can relate to. It's not always about being a virtuoso.

I also noticed a lot of reviews mentioning how meaningless and lethargic they thought the lyrics were. Tell me when does everything have to make sense in order for you to like it, or find it acceptable? You go to a museum and you see an odd sculpture, you're not going to criticize it just because you can't interpret what the artist was going for are you?

With all that said, if you have enough curiosity about this band, this album, to read these reviews, then you should give it a listen. The Killers fall well out of the bounds of music that I'd listen to on a daily basis, but after hearing this album, my tastes have broadened, and I'm definitely looking forward to what they'll have in store for them in the future.

Don't buy this CD if you are going to analyze, compare, try-to-guess-the-influence or whatever it to death! If you have some "I owe my allegiance to" such-and-such band, or such-and-such style or period, or whatever, and can't resist trying to figure out how it fits into your version of the way "music" or "punk" or "rock" or whatever should be, then don't buy it. On the other hand, if you just like music...all kinds of music, just put in in your player, and listen. It's perfect.

Since I've had this album for a long time but really haven't listened to it lately, I decided to give it another listen after listening to Sam's Town and maybe it's simply because of my familiarity with it, but it was like a breath of fresh air.

Let me first say this album isn't perfect. Lyrically it's not phenominal but for the music and vocal style, it just works. A few songs can turn into a drag because it isn't too diverse in its instrumental technique and Flowers' vocal range is certainly limited. But somehow it all comes together nicely for a melodic, energetic and upbeat album.

First off, the melodies and choruses on this album far surpass Sam's Town. One thing I notice about the new album is how the choruses linger on and don't really peak at any point. Almost every song on Hot Fuss has a strong chorus and despite the massive layers that sometimes bog down the sound, songs such as All The Things That I've Done, Mr. Brightside, Smile Like You Mean It, and Change Your Mind overcome that and leave you with a much more exciting and enjoyable music experience.

What some people may say is that the first album is more accessible and the new album shows growth and maturation because it doesn't catch on as quickly as the first. I disagree entirely. To me, it simply sounds like a confused and overworked group have patched together an album to satisfy their recording contract. Everyone talks about the influences of the new album, and yes I can hear it, but all bands have influences. But to become a legitimate band, you have to become an influence yourself and they are far from influencing anyone after their latest album.

I'm disappointed because Hot Fuss is a strong effort by a band that really showed promise and cohesiveness, but it seems lost on the new album. This may not exactly be a five-star record but I feel much happier listening to this album than Sam's Town.

...because this album blew me away. After hearing the first single, 'Somebody Told Me', I was very skeptical. I thought this would be just a pop band like Green Day. But i decided i would give it a listen after hearing the second single, 'Mr. Brightside'. Wow. I was completely blown away and I fell in love with this album. 'Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine' is probably my favorite track off of this album. 'Mr. Brightside' & 'Smile Like You Mean It', which are the 2nd and 4th singles respectively are great 80s influenced tracks. Actually this whole album has a New Wave feel to it and i love it. 'Somebody Told Me' is a hot club track and a monster pop track and it is very catchy. 'All These Things That Ive Done', the 3rd single is a slow paced song and it will have you singing "Ive got soul but I'm not a soldier" all day long. 'Andy, You're A Star' is probably my least favorite on the track but is still a good song. 'On Top' is definitely one of my favorites. I love the chorus to this track. Well-produced album, Brandon Flowers is not the greatest singer in the world (with his fake british accent lol) but I still love him here. I hope to see a long LONG career from these very talented guys from Las Vegas, and im sure 90% of you agree.