Most unfairly maligned cover version: The Killers - Shadowplay
I mean, I can understand why the Killers are hated on by certain elements. Saying that your upcoming record is the greatest in twenty years, while being named Flowers, and seemingly modelling your look upon that of Manuel Almunia, it's pretty annoying. Especially when, as it turns out, 'Sam's Town' was, at best, a whole heap of okay. What's more, I love Joy Division, and can understand why they're seen as a sacred cow to many. But I still kinda feel like this cover was never given much of a chance. I think it's pretty good - not a simple identical copy of the original, with plenty of the Killers' best elements (big guitars, whoo's), and still keeps the original's sense of detachment and longing. It gets a resolutely uncool yet adamant thumbs up from me.
[download The Killers - Shadowplay]
[The Killers myspace / official site]
[Buy Control soundtrack UK / US]
Acting out your own death
Levitation ain't your only friend
Well, the Killers' new record is out today. Not shockingly, Sam's Town is not the greatest album of the last twenty years. But unlike most, apparently, I actually quite like it. Putting the intro after the first track is still daft, despite Flowers' explanation, but the segue from 'Enterlude' into single 'When You Were Young' works well. Since Hot Fuss was essentially a handful of great songs, a couple of good ones, and then a few crap ones, the only real disappointment for me is that Sam's Town has fewer great songs.
All the criticism that this record is too overblown, too MOR, too 80s... I don't really feel it. The last record, after all, had a gospel choir (they're back here, by the way), and to be fair to them, they'll never write another song as bad as the shimmering shit-pile that was 'Glamourous Indie Rock n' Roll.' The best bits here are still cheap-disco, big-chorus, dance-like-a-twat capital-F Fun.
'When You Were Young', with all its "burning down the highway skyline on the back of a hurricane" nonsense, is still a great summer single. (Although Rolling Stone's comments about the lyrics are worth a read). 'For Reasons Unknown' is huge. 'Bones' is ace and brassy. 'Uncle Johnny' is a cousin, or, well, an uncle, to 'Andy You're A Star'. Things tail off towards the end, as they did on the first album.
It's a little too easy to hate on The Killers these days, but Sam's Town shows that they still have a few tunes up their flowery sleeves. Based on what they look like these days, I think that they'd make for a great Halloween costume. If only I had three friends.
[The Killers on the Hype Machine]
