After bursting onto the scene with one of my favorite albums of all time, Hot Fuss, The Killers have returned from a long hiatus, in order to allow lead singer Brandon Flowers to pursue a quick solo career, with their fourth studio album, Battle Born. The album may not feature the knockout sound and production of their perfect debut, but the group puts talent at the forefront with impressive story-telling lyrics, great vocals and musicianship. Preceded by the critically praised, comeback single “Runaways”, the new album is far from the group’s greatest effort, but it certainly surpasses most of their musical arsenal they have released to date.
The album opens up with should-be future single “Flesh and Bone”, a track that seems to link the group’s past sound with their current material. From the video game-sounding intro to the echoing chorus, everything about the track makes for a great opener. Right out the gate, Flowers and his band mates show they are not messing around. Vocals? Check. Songwriting? Top notch. The usual.
“Runaways”, the comeback single that catapulted the band back into my life, is as beautiful as it is amazing. The song is not as much reminiscent of the Hot Fuss era, but a close cousin of the tracks found on Sam’s Town. “I swore on the head of our unborn child, that I could take care of the three of us,” Flowers sings, showcasing maturity and the path of becoming a real man.
An 80s movie soundtrack vibe quickly falls over the album as “The Way It Was” comes through the speakers. The lead singer wishes things were exactly how they were before, but notes changes may have ruined that. Emotion is written all over the heartfelt lyrics, front and back. Can things be exactly how they were in the beginning after the relationship was called off? The Killers hope so.
The tone remains serious as the group thinks back on a young love that may have been worth a fight on “Here With Me”. Flowers vocals are gorgeous as always. However, here they play second act to the impressive musicianship from the others guys in the band. Talent just pours out as every second goes by, never is there a dull moment. And don’t get me started on those notes towards the end!
On “A Matter Of Time”, things start off slow and mellow until the rock and roll attitude I come to expect is unleashed. Nervousness creeps over Flowers as he steps foot in his lover’s front door. Who knew he could even lose his cool? The song differs from the tracks that preceded it just a tad bit, but still fits with the overall theme and sound of the album. Another great addition.
A cool piano introduces “Deadlines And Commitments” and the tone stays put throughout the entire track. The vocals are soft, the production is haunting and my attention was definitely kept. “If you should fall upon hard times, If you should lose your way, There is a place here in this house that you can stay” are uplifting, beautiful lines that embody what the entire song is about.
The likely second single, “Miss Atomic Bomb”, seems set up to be a sequel of the band’s first major hit, “Mr. Brightside”. If Flowers would have won over the heart of his girl in part one, part two shows them riding around loving their innocence and youth. The song is good, carries somewhat of a U2 quality, but I don’t know if it’s the best choice as the next single.
“The Rising Tide” kicks off with a great instrumental intro, sort of a rock-synth mix. While the beginning minute is top notch, the rest of the song drifts into a hole that it never seems to come out of. Sounding familiar to previous tracks on the album, the song does not have too many special or unique aspects to differentiate itself. Not a horrible piece, just a tad bit boring.
Light guitars open “Heart Of A Girl”, a track that shows the lead singer fantasizing about the girl of his dream, his beautiful angel. The song drifts from the rock genre and lands somewhere close to that of a country jam that incorporates gospel as well. Once again, I do not know how I really feel about this one. I want to love it, but my attention was not grabbed from the get go.
I was thrown off by the weird fast-paced opening of “From Here On Out”, and the song once again gives off a country, southern vibe, but for some reason I enjoyed it and was clapping along with the lyrics and vocals. As the shortest cut off the album, the song was over just as it was starting to get really good. Can’t really judge this one too hard.
“Be Still” brings back the dark, moody tone as production is scaled back and Flowers’ vocals take center stage again. “May your limits be unknown/May your efforts be your own,” he sings on the track which shows simplicity is the best way to go. The song brings the album back on the right path and may be one of the strongest pieces. A beautiful ballad from the eyes of the group.
The album closes with the title track, a saying found on the flag of the band’s home state. The five-minute track begins with an epic, traditional rock sound and gets even higher with a soaring chorus and near flawless performance from the entire band. The song seems to be an ode to their home, the perfect place to escape. For a closing track, it will leave the listener wanting more.
Battle Born is a spectacular listen. It is not as epic or groundbreaking as The Killers’ debut, but I will go out on a limb and say it is their best release since the 2004 effort. I am glad to see the band back at work creating great moments in rock that focus on vocals, musicianship and songwriting instead of gimmicks and overdone production. The album comes out of the gate strong, just like the black stallion featured on the cover, loses some steam towards the middle, but then quickly gets back up to finish on a high note. With inspiration from the rock, gospel, country and pop genres, everyone will find something to love. The album receives a high 87%.
Tracks to Hear: “Flesh and Bone”, “Here With Me”, “Deadlines and Commitments” and “Se Still"
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