Aging Not So Gracefully

It's only fitting that the Killers' third release is titled Day & Age. It takes about two seconds to realize that this album is yet another tribute to the new wave movement that reigned when these guys were probably still in diapers. It doesn't take an expert to figure out that both the days and the ages are ones that took place in the late 70's or early 80's. Which to me, is rather disappointing. Hot Fuss, which was released in 2004, was creatively transient -- it had touches of the old interspersed with newer, fresher sounds. We got a host of singles that were more radio-friendly than the kind of stuff Interpol was coming out with, yet nothing was too overbearing. Sam's Town, despite having an excellent first single ("When You Were Young"), was mostly smoke and mirrors. An obsession with Bruce Springsteen didn't do this band's collective body good, and a fleeting presence on the charts only solidified this fact. Two years later, we get the third offering by the Killers, one that unfortunately duplicates many of the inconsistencies from album #2.

But before this one gets cast away into the suck bin, it should be noted that Day & Age has its moments. And if by chance you were to grade this record by its first three cuts, it would rank up there with their debut. The first song, ironically called "Losing Touch," is actually a step in the right direction for Brandon Flowers and crew. Despite the overblown horn section (no pun intended), the tune is actually quite infectious. The build-up is as brilliant as the chorus itself, and it segues nicely into the no-remix-necessary "Human" -- an admitted guilty pleasure. Flowers rhetorically philosophizes whether we are "human" or indeed "dancer" -- a question that gets answered pretty quickly once that beat kicks in. Bringing back the glitzy dance glamor of "Mr. Brightside," this one will complement its predecessor nicely once that Killers best-of collection inevitably hits stores in a few years. The most head-scratching element to this album is "Spacemen." But certainly not in a bad way. Far and away Day & Age's most solid cut, it's rather mind-boggling that this one wasn't selected as the album's primary single. Compromising the Killers of yesteryear with some of the more recent novelty neo-new wave they've been so infatuated with, "Spaceman" explemfies the kind of music Flowers should be composing at this point in his career. But unfortunately, the "Human"/"Spaceman" twin peaks are met the rest of the way with numerous valleys. "Joy Ride" is hardly smooth trip. Flowers and crew take us through all the bad parts of funkytown, which is punishing more so than anything else. The horn section makes its untriumphant return, forcing this reviewer to ponder whether or not these guys are pulling a fast one on us.

The rest of the album is somwhat lackluster. It's as if the band is too hellbent on preserving/redefining an image rather than making music that would otherwise come naturally to them. "The World We Live In" is another trip down memory lane, this time evoking the synthesizers and rolicking beat that comes to mind when you think of a Tears For Fears or Culture Club. "Neon Tiger," accordingly, is perfect soudtrack music for an 80's-style coke binge. Taking all of this into account, it's difficult to give tremendous praise to an album that's so top-heavy on novelty. This record sounds unmistakably decadent and out of place. As first shown Sam's Town, the Killers are still obsessed with a day and age that has been long gone for quite some time. It's time forge ahead, boys.

My Rating: 6.5/10