Our Guest Writer Rips the Killers a New One

I still have a crush on him. Is that weird?- BK 

The Killers “Battle Born” Review.
By Zach Marmolejo (guest writer) 

2/5

When The Killers first hit the scene in 2004 with their album “Hot Fuss” I was really excited about them. Here was this band that seemed to have captured the catchiness of 80’s songs and turned them into great pop rock songs that most everyone enjoyed. 
Then lead singer Brandon Flowers discovered Bruce Springsteen’s back catalogue and wanted to somehow capture that for today’s audience. That effort turned into 2006’s “Sam’s Town” which left critics divided, but the fans ate it up. They returned to back to their 80’s synthy sound with 2008’s “Day and Age” and critics seemed to welcome them back and the fans once again ate it up.

After 4 years of side projects and solo albums they are back, which is unfortunate for listeners. It seems that Flowers is trying to combine the sound of Springsteen’s early 70’s albums with what they were known for when they first came out. The results are as terrible as the idea sounds trust me. There is a reason why there is only one Bruce Springsteen and music critic’s let him get away with his wholesome slice of Americana Jersey heartland rock because he has earned it. Most the time when other people try to duplicate what The Boss does they usually end up sounding like Bon Jovi.

To say that the Killers sound like Bon Jovi on their latest effort would be an insult not only to Bon Jovi, but his millions of housewife fans who are well past their prime, but they still try to hang on by spray tanning and going out to clubs at night when they should be in bed watching “Matlock.”

On “Battle Born” Flowers belts out scenes that would make anyone from the garbage state say “Man that stinks.” He sings about being his girlfriend’s prizefighter on the album's last song “Prizefighter” that tells the story of you guess it Flowers being a prizefighter just trying to make a better life for him and his gal trying to reach “that golden door,” and he can do it as long as she is by his side. He also manages to swear on his unborn child’s head that he is going to take care of the three of them on the lead single “Runaways.” It doesn’t get much better on any of the albums other 13 tracks either.

I understand what Flowers was trying to do with this album, but the problem is it feels like the album never figures out exactly what it wants to be. Does it want to be a tribute of sorts to the Boss’s heyday, or does it want to go back to the 80’s sound that The Killers are known for.. The album ends of being a mess of so many sounds that are not pleasing to anyone but Mr. Flower’s ears. I was a pretty stern defendant of “Sam’s Town” when critics loved to bash the hell out that, but I cannot in my heart of hearts defend whatever this album is. Somewhere out there Bruce is sitting naked in his golden bathtub weeping while eating a gallon of Ben and Jerry’s because “Battle Born” is stuck on repeat.