Powerstars

The year is 2004. The Indie Rock fad of the mid-'00s is in gear when a band called The Killers releases their debut. The face of Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll is never the same. Not to be bias, but I really love The Killers, I think Brandon Flowers (vocalist) is a genius, as well as the others. Genius, genius, genius. I saw this much fabled album in my brother's CD collection and had to hear it. Not to mention, it doubles as New Wave, so here's a little diversity for the journal. So let's look at their debut, eh?

1. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
We open with the spacey strains of only one part of the supposed "murder trilogy." This one rocks hard as Brandon occasionally strains his voice as rockers like to do. Also, the funky bass really helps things along. Looking at the lyrics, it's hard to deny that the narrator is at least being a little obsessive about Jenny, even if it doesn't involve murder. Still, either way, a solid opening track with energy and New Wave influence everywhere.

2. Mr. Brightside
Since I first heard this song a few years back, it has been my off-again-on-again favorite song of all time. The singer's girl left him and had sex with "him." We don't need a name. We know it's the singer's douche, girl stealing rival. Then, if it's the same perspective from the last song, maybe the narrator is the douche and the rival is saving the girl, who would prefer to be with him. Ahem, back to the point. Emotional lyrics and delivery, catchy crunchy guitars, and overall a kickin' single.

3. Smile Like You Mean It
Right as we open, the indie rock and new wave elements are beside each other with synth and guitar. Being apparently written in 8 minutes, the new wave elements complement the rock part and give the song an almost dreamlike feeling. The effects on the guitar solo also help to give that feeling to this coming-of-age song. At least one person had compared this song to the work of The Smiths, and it's hard to deny that there was at least some influence taken from them.

4. Somebody Told Me
I gotta say, I'm a sucker for fast pop rock that focuses more on the, ya know, ROCK side of things. That's why I don't like most modern pop rock and that's why I like this song. It certainly does have it's pop edge with it's melody and the synth. But it rocks out hard to keep it from being too poppy, which makes it just BETTER. I also totally love the lyric "That you had a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend." It proves these guys have not only a sense of medley, but a sense of humor. The chorus in general is pretty funny, and the song works well off of it.

5. All These Things That I've Done
We start with some eerie piano/organ stuff. It's a catchy song, and if you strip it down, it's very clearly inspired by The Beatles in some respect, which would make sense because Brandon is a huge Beatles fan. The big "I got soul but I'm not a solider" part could be inspired by any number of artists and is tailor-made to be sung with the audience at a concert.

6. Andy, You're A Star
We open with dem guitars, for possibly one of the hardest rocking songs on the album at times, and also very much a ballad. The lyrics are kinda...uh...I don't know, my interpretation of them is that the narrator is gay and telling a war veteran not to spend too much time with his spouse because "Andy, you're a star! In nobody's eyes, but mine." I don't know, that's just my take, though Brandon has said it's about a stalker and his object of desire...kinda the same thing.

7. On Top
A really bittersweet sounding song that manages to be on the more inspirational side of sad...while being fast at the same time. To me, it kinda sounds desperate. It also seems to deal with a rival of sorts, like the one in
"Mr Brightside" wanting to steal "my bride."

8. Change Your Mind
You know, this song is pretty happy for being about someone whose girlfriend may be rejecting him. He's fairly optimistic about it. He believes that maybe if "the answer is no, can I change your mind?" Delightful in that it's the happiest sounding song on the album without being way too cheesy and over-the-top. Although, the synth does make it just a bit cheesy, but just enough to make it acceptably cheesy, while the rock of the song keeps it in check.

9. Believe Me, Natalie
Dang it Natalie, why won't you listen to me! This is of great importance! It's the difference between life and death! This is the last time you can party-a-go-go...yeah, really serious sounding song for that being it's subject matter. I'm not even making that up...they use the phrase "party-a-go-go!" This is the one song on the album that I believe is a bit too cheesy in some way. I mean, the instrumentation is great as always, but the lyrics just don't work for this serious sounding of a song. Ah well.

10. Midnight Show
Dude, the dissonance at the beginning! THIS is definitely the hardest rocking song on the album! Also a part of the murder trilogy, I think during the last verse, the narrator is referring to throwing her dead body into a body of water and watching it sink. The Midnight Show itself is also probably also implying this. Also, the solo is just freakin' amazing with the funky stuff going on while the basic rockin' solo is going. And we end on a melancholy orchestral note...

11. Everything Will Be Alright
This song just makes the listener feel more comfortable after the songs about cheating girlfriends, murder, and other things. The luscious melody coupled with the emotional and high-energy vocals from Brandon, as well as the more laidback backing vocal, that I sadly cannot identify (could just be another recording of Brandon; if not, it's likely Ronnie [The drummer]). The dreamlike solo only adds to the charm. A beautiful ending song to finish off this occasionally dark album on a positive note.

Conclusion: Man, if there was ever such a great debut with so few problems. The album, while having a few short comings, is a modern classic that needs to be heard. If you can afford it, I also recommend the Limited Edition with 3 extra songs including "Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll," which I've referenced a few times before. Overall, solid and stellar album.

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