Yes, I shamelessly made that headline and will not apologize. The Killers are a band that we have grown with. They have grown as well, but are sure to produce music we will always love. This album as a whole has many religious undertones, the feeling of being stuck, and the sad realization that the band may not be together forever.
Writing a short article about a Killers album is almost impossible with all of the abstract concepts the songs bring about. Luckily, the band has dropped singles for us to get a taste of this album over time. “Wonderful Wonderful” The track titled song sets the opening tone, while also being the most abstract in sound. Throughout this song and the album, the lead guitar jumps out with a haunting thrum that cuts into your ears and vibrates down to your chest.
One song, in particular, that has that guitar thrum and the most abstract lyrics is “The Calling“. If you haven’t read my post “The Calling” Live Debut From The Killers and Woody Harrelson, you can get an in-depth look at one of these abstract songs. The recorded version is amazing, and probably one of my favorites on the album.
I have one question for the Killers, “Is this it?” I have a strong feeling that this is the last album we will get from the Killers. Their band has become fractured and holding on by a string. The first time it became apparent was in 2013. Brandon Flowers had a breakdown and threw his keyboard off the stage in Dubai. Presently, only half of the members will be touring on the “Wonderful Wonderful” Tour. I know you don’t want to hear this. Believe me, I’ve been dreading the day these giants fall, but listen to “Out of My Mind” Track 8 from the new album. The opening lines say:
We’re building up a kingdom
We pray it never falls
I can lose my temper
You can put up wallsAnd I hate when it gets serious
It’s like we’re going blind
Take the needle off the record
I can’t stand another chorus
Take note of the legends that influence this song. Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen (Happy Birthday Bruce!). Maybe these legends are brought up to show the direction Brandon Flowers is looking to go.
On that note, I would like to call up the song “Life to Come“. Even though there are sad undertones of the future throughout the album, this song drops in the optimism that life is not over. I’m going to propose another prediction. Out of the ashes of The Killer’s death, Brandon Flowers will rise to perform solo albums like the Beatles band members (I mean, Ringo just released an album last week).
As beautiful as this album is, I think it is a sad farewell. Maybe that is what made it so “wonderful”. The band is holding it together to give a final bow to all of its loyal fans. To this, I give them a round of applause.
-Wesley A. Gehman