The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers' boast from 2006, which claimed Sam's Town was the best album in the last twenty years, was enough to turn many Hot Fuss fans into Sam's Town haters. This resulted in leaving anyone who would listen an earful about how overrated these pompous asses were, and how they were overplayed and should never be heard from again.
And after a couple of listens, it seems clear that Brandon Flowers was eavesdropping on some of the Killers bashing of late, as the new album bears the energy and pompousness of Sam's Town with a side of humble pie, bringing the sound on many tracks closer to the trance-like feel of Hot Fuss. The result is an album for Killers fans of all sizes, giving the best of all their previous work in a tight, ten-track package.
The best part of Sam's Town was what originally came across as unappealing - When You Were Young"" dumped the slow, hypnotic sound of ""Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine"" for a fast-paced energy that really set the tone for a totally different sound. That energy, which seemed sporadically and haphazardly applied in Sam's Town, is controlled and strategic in Day & Age.
The opening track ""Losing Touch"" serves as a good example. With jazz sax and trumpets blasting over the early hypnotic keyboard and lyrics by Flowers, the previously misplaced boasting energy is placed in the background, blending electronic melody with instrumental accompaniment in a way that sounds natural.
Most importantly, Day & Age is fun to listen to. ""Human,"" the album's first single and second track, makes this clear as Flowers asks jovially, ""Are we human or are we dancer?"" You ponder the lyric, wonder if it serves as deep commentary on our generation, or on dance music in general, but then you realize that it is just nonsense. The description of some kind of alien abduction in ""Spaceman"" is similarly hilarious, matched with bouncing guitar riffs and a pop sound that keeps the trade light and fun.
The middle tracks of the album slow things down for a bit, bringing the album back to the band's rave-music roots until we get to ""I Can't Stay,"" a ballad tapped out on marimbas and a keyboard. ""Neon Tiger"" brings up the musical energy but the lyrics are more relaxed, leading to a sleepy finale in ""Goodnight, Travel Well."" They aren't quite as fun, but they make the overall album feel like it has a logical flow, from sunrise to sundown.
Day & Age manages to do enough new things while pleasing fans of their early work. It's more complex than their previous efforts, and shows significant understanding of where their sound will go next. If you want to try to fall in love with the Killers again, this is the album to do it with.
