#46 - Phil

The Killers

Sam's Town

2006

I had never listened to a Killers album until last Christmas. I had always been interested in them, but for some reason had never gotten around to making a purchase. I was very excited when my mom got me not just one of their albums - but all of their albums - as a holiday gift! Besides their B-sides, the Killers have three albums: Hot Fuss, their popular debut; Day & Age, their most recent and most praised work; and Sam’s Town, the Killers’ overlooked middle child. Naturally, I listened to Hot Fuss and Day & Age first… and was hardly moved by either of them. I was all but certain that I was going to regret putting this blockbuster band from Las Vegas on my wish list. Then I listened to Sam’s Tom, which was thankfully a revelation!

The record is bookended by what the Killers refer to as an “Enterlude” and “Exitlude.” These tracks are simple and virtually identical, but they serve as remarkably effective ditties that make the listener feel like they are witnessing something truly massive. As for the meat of the record, the Killers present a parfait of cleverly-written songs that each tell their own unique story. “When You Were Young” poignantly describes someone with a dirty past encountering the love of their life for the first time. “Bling (Confession of a King)” is a tale of falling into despair told in the first person. And “Uncle Johnny” magnifies the struggles one goes through when a family member is affected by drugs. All jokes aside, this band really did make one killer record. -P.W.

I always thought these guys were fun and their first two albums were really solid. This was definitely the best and most consistent album. When I first started compiling my list I was considering what some of the most important albums of the decade were. The Killers in general seemed to be a fairly important band to me because they were able to make their throw-back sound, characteristic of some of the indie rock of the time, more appealing to the mainstream. So, I feel The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse were very consequential bands the past six years because they were largely responsible for pushing the countercultural genre of indie rock into the mainstream. - Ryan

Following up a smash hit debut is always a trying and challenging affair. For the Killers they decided to get a little serious and grab a few tricks from the Boss by turning their new wave dance numbers into colossal-sounding rock anthems. Something of a guilty pleasure for me as it's a record that never quite congeals or moves beyond its influences but I can appreciate the ridiculous Las Vegas pomp in these tunes. - Steve