Brandon Flowers

Week 50: the Killers- Rebel Diamonds

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A mixture of brief and long track-by-track reviews:

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine:

Powerful bassline depicting the fictional story of a girl called Jenny who was murdered. Morrissey(who Brandon is a fan of)inspired him to write the song, which is part of the murder trilogy featured from the “Hot Fuss” period. Frontman Brandon Flowers also said that Alice Deejay’s 1999 smash ‘Better Off Alone’ inspired the sound.

Mr Brightside:

THE iconic anthem that has stood the test of time for the band. It doesn’t matter where you are; everyone will know the words( to the chorus, at least.) and sing them at the top of their lungs with their arms aloft or their fist punching the air. Brandon said this track came to life after he suspected his then-girlfriend was cheating on him. Brandon woke up and went down to the Crown and Anchor public house in Las Vegas and saw his girlfriend cheating. The backing track had already been done before Brandon added his heart-wrenching vocals, followed by the drum machine featured on the demo. The anthem was initially met with disdain during its initial live performances and gathered momentum after the release of ‘Somebody Told Me’.

All These Things That I’ve Done:

Brandon admitted to imitating the late Lou Reed’s vocal delivery for this track. The song features the Gospel group Sweet Inspirations. The bassline was lifted from the late David Bowie’s ‘Slow Burn’. 

Somebody Told Me:

Their second single, which had an Oasis-esque vibe, is about trying to pull someone in a nightclub. Brandon cleverly added both sexes in the chorus so both could relate to the meaning behind the song. Pulsating drums and spacey synthesisers over raucous guitars will have you headbanging, dancing uncontrollably or stamping your foot.

When You Were Young:

The synthesisers are warmer than what was heard on “Hot Fuss” over lyrics referencing hurricanes, heartache, and Jesus, specifically in the chorus). The synthesiser takes centre stage with its riff featured on the chorus. There is an element of folk in this 80s synth-pop song.

Read My Mind:

Brandon has said this is the best song he has ever written and declared it his favourite for the band. Again, it is an 80s-inspired synth song with amazing vocals in the verses and a riff that still sticks into your head almost two decades later. Brandon said this originally started as ‘Little Angela.’

Human:

I never understood the lyrics ‘Are We Human? Or are we Dancer?’ However, it is an infectious hook, and maybe due to its melody, it makes the outlandish lyrics redundant. Furthermore, many people have questioned what the lyrics mean because, as you can see, they do not make sense. The track featured a synthesiser, snappy guitar riff, and hi-hat riff, with a second synthesiser coming in the second verse: catchy synthesiser, and full drums in the first chorus. The second chorus features high synth strings, which lead into the middle eight and are accompanied by drums, bass, and vocals. The third chorus is a breakdown featuring the sounds heard so far, with a fade out on the final chorus.

Spaceman:

It is a song about meeting an alien, which gradually affects the main character’s sanity over multiple synthesisers with driven guitars coming in on the chorus. The standout has to be the drumming by Ronnie Vanucci. On a side note: When Noel Gallagher met the band, he ignored the other members and approached Ronnie. At the time, the then Oasis leader was looking for Zak Starkey’s successor.

A Dustland Fairytale:

It’s a song that sounds like it could be in a school assembly. There is an updated version featuring Bruce Springsteen, which was recorded in 2020. The acquisition of the Boss makes the re-recording better than the original version.

Be Still:

An unimpressive ballad.

Runaways:

This track is Bruce Springsteen-esque.

the Man:

I am not a fan of it, to be honest. It has that 1980s feel to it (I tend to cringe at most of the music from the 80s when I hear them played.). Don’t get me wrong, I like some 80s disco, but this had far too much to my liking, and I certainly wouldn’t put it in the Nile Rodgers category (I would have liked it, then.).

Caution:

Sounds like four bands rolled into one song. The intro is very Tame Impala, the verses are the War on Drugs and Slowdive, and the chorus is the Killers. Once again, the lyrical content and the story draw you in. There’s even an appearance by Lindsey Buckingham on the lead guitar. The story is about rolling the dice and throwing caution to the wind regardless of the consequences because you don’t want to regret missed opportunities.

My Own Soul’s Warning:

It is a slow-building track that bursts into a traditional Killers wall of sound. You can never forget the sound for that reason alone. The fable is quite religious, and what happens when you start questioning its validity? 

Dying Breed:

Brandon goes for it on this song, especially in the chorus, as his vocals grow in volume. It’s a typical Killers track with all the synthesisers, et cetera. One to get the seating section up on their feet for a dance at the gigs.

Pressure Machine:

This is my third choice recommendation from the album with the same name. However, apart from the story being told, it lacked a hook and a chorus. It felt more like Spoken Word than the bombastic sound we know the band for.

Quiet Town:

A fable about two individuals killed in a 1994 car accident in Utah 1994 when a train hit them at a crossing. This song has some meaning to Brandon because he hails from the same town in Utah where the incident happened. He also saw one of the victims that day morning on the way to school. The song is broken down into verse one: the accident. Chorus one: How it shook the town, and what these Mormons are like. Verse two: 20 years after the accident, discussing the opioid stories. Chorus two: How the people live their lives and how their faith will pull them through. Verse three: Brandon outlines how he feels when he returns to his hometown. Chorus three: The local folk are good people and help those in need—verse four Talks about the train remembering taking those lives. Overall, the song is taken from the point of view of a train worker who witnessed the incident. The worker also says how the train kills someone every two or three years, maybe depicting that individuals intentionally commit suicide by being struck by the train. Why? Well, one of the lyrics is, “You…I, I think the train is a way to find your way out of this life if you get hit by it”.

Boy:

Chopping hi-hats, dazzling guitar riffs, and Brandon’s personal lyrics over their usual synth rock. The topic is Brandon addressing himself and his children about the past and the optimism of the future.

Your Side of Town:

Quintessentially the Killers.

Spirit:

The sole new track on the album, and closer samples Underworld’s iconic ‘Born Slippy’ over the band’s quintessential sound. 

Song recommendations: ‘Mr Brightside’, ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘Spirit’

8/10

Week 34: the Killers- Pressure Machine

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Well, there’s no need to do a brief introduction on this Californian band. I have already reviewed their previous two albums, which I immensely enjoyed. However, their third record since 2017 has left me somewhat cold. It is in the same vein as “Sam’s Town”. It’s less of an album and more of a short story set to music. What exactly do I mean? It’s on novels by Steinbeck and Sherwood Anderson (If you know your books, they will sound familiar to you. However, I only read autobiographies as fiction bores me.) The record celebrates working-class America in the small towns and their fight against capitalism that is destroying their resources piece by piece. 

It’s weird when the band is from a big city on the West Coast riddled with celebrity and materialism. The lyrics detail America’s small towns soberly against a backdrop of country music. Indeed, it’s not a typical record by the band. When you think of the Killers, your go-to is synths and guitars. In some ways, the band must be applauded for calling out the capitalists for how they are killing the small towns. Seeing music ready to call out those who deserve to be named and shamed is always refreshing. I love the arts because they were built on anti-establishmentarianism and give a voice to the oppressed.

Am I contradicting myself? Maybe a little bit. I wasn’t a fan of the slow tempo and melancholic melodies you would associate with Brandon’s heroes, the Smiths, but the lyrics are lovely and thought-provoking. It isn’t always about the music. Sometimes, it’s about the topics, lyrical content or a combination of all three factors. 

“Pressure Machine” will probably not be well received by the casual listener of the band like myself. Still, I can imagine the hardcore element will find this newish approach just another side of the Killers. It’s not an album that will be “trendy”. Fair play to them for going in-depth on the plight of the working class in America and feeling passionately enough to go against the grain and make music with it. 

When you listen to the lyrics, they don’t jump at you in the form of a song, but more like you were reading poetry. I have heard some describe “Pressure Machine” as quite “catchy”, but honestly, I didn’t sense what the Killers are known for. No hooks and no catchy choruses. To be brutally blunt, I found myself drifting off when listening. It certainly isn’t going to increase their fan base, but what it lacks sonically, it makes up for with the lyrics and the topic. I struggled with song recommendations, but fear not; I did manage to compile the usual three.

Song recommendations: ‘West Hills’, ‘Runaway Horses’, ‘Pressure Machine’

6/10

Week 11: Kings of Leon- When You See Yourself

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My first introduction to the band from America was in 2009 when “Sex on Fire” was heard in pretty much every nightlife establishment you went into. Indeed, my friends and I sang it at the top of our voices and even changed the words to go with an ex-Newcastle United footballer. I’m sure others sang it that way before us. The old “Yourrrr Temuri Ketsbaia”. Now, Kings of Leon are very much like Bush. Why? Because they are popular everywhere else except in their native land. Bush is from London, but their Grunge sound never stood a chance when Oasis and all the other Indie bands came along. Because people over here were not so much into listening to Soundgarden and Nirvana at that point, the same could be said of Kings of Leon. When they came along, America wasn’t interested in listening to a band whose sound was more attractive to the European market. Unlike the Killers, whose sound was very much inspired by Oasis and the Smiths when they first started to make inroads and gradually started to win over fans from their homeland, America never took to Kings of Leon, and as far as I know, that is still the case. I am in the minority regarding the band in Europe because I am not a fan. I liked “Sex on Fire”, but that’s it for me. 

I am going to quote my friend Tommy about Kings of Leon. I told him I listened to the new album and told him to listen because he would be surprised by some of the songs. He told me he would make a conscious effort to listen to it because the band are no longer kids anymore and is more mature. Now, I concur. When you listen to the lyrics, you can hear their maturity. They’re no longer singing about getting drunk and living that wild life.

The opening track is the title track, but the title is slightly different from the name of the record. It’s called “When You See Yourself, Are You Far Away.” immediately upon listening, the track got my attention because of the Jaws-like sound to it (Jaws the band, by the way.), you can also hear an electric guitar plucked throughout, which sits nicely rhythmically, and a xylophone, which I would never have associated with the band using. I then highlighted “100,000 People” to Tommy because it’s a slow plodder with a dreamy chorus that sounded Indie, and then a synthesiser that you would associate with the Killers, so you can imagine Brandon Flowers being all over it. Then, there is the “Golden Restless Age” because it sounds like the War on Drugs. Apart from that, the rest of the album sounds like Kings of Leon with more grown-up subjects. However, those three tracks I mentioned to Tommy caught my attention, and for those fleeting moments, I enjoyed listening to the band.

Because of those three tracks and the departure from talking about sex and whiskey all the time, there is something to look forward to in the future from the band. They have shown that they are ready to tackle more sobering issues and are willing to dabble with the sound. If the band makes something entirely out of the ordinary next time, they show they aim to be around for another decade. Who knows, they might get America on board and remove the stigma of “They’re a band for the Europeans with their Indie Rock.

Song recommendations: “Golden Restless Age”, “When You See Yourself, Are You Far Away”, “100,000 People”

8/10

Week Thirty-Five: the Killers- Holding the Mirage

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Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s sixth studio album:

My Own Soul’s Warning:

This is the first track I heard off the album while I tuned into Absolute a few weeks before the album was released. It is a slow-building track that bursts into a traditional Killers wall of sound. You can never forget the sound for that reason alone. The fable is quite religious, and what happens when you start questioning its validity? 

Blowback:

I remember while listening to this track if there is a deliberate drug reference behind the title. Because we all know when you partake in doing a blowback. However, the subject is altogether very different. It is about a lady trying to forget the past and move on but keeps getting blown back to times she would rather forget. Brandon Flowers has shown his ability to compel you with his lyrical content and stories. As the song draws to the end, two men appear to discuss the lady and how one has strong feelings for her, but the other man asks if he is willing to stay when the past creeps back in.

Dying Breed:

Brandon goes for it on this song, especially in the chorus, as his vocals grow in volume. A typical Killers track with all the synthesisers, et cetera. One to get the seating section up on their feet for a dance when venues are back to total capacity.

Caution:

The single promoting the album sounds like four bands rolled into one song. The intro is very Tame Impala, the verses are the War on Drugs and Slowdive, and the chorus is the Killers. Once again, the lyrical content and the story draw you in. There’s even an appearance by Lindsey Buckingham on the lead guitar. The story is about rolling the dice and throwing caution to the wind regardless of the consequences because you don’t want to regret missed opportunities.

Lightning Fields:

For the second track in succession, there is a feature in the form of K.D. Lang, and it works because her heartfelt vocals add to the whole aspect of the song. This is Brandon’s ode to his mother. As I said, it is Lang’s vocals that stand out over a typical Killers track that is inspired by the 80s. (It is hard to believe that when their debut was released, they were dubbed the American version of Oasis.).

Fire in Bone:

There is a bit of experimentation for the band here as they try doing funk. This reminded me of the prodigal son story from the holy bible, where you are forgiven for your wrongdoings upon your return. I especially love the lyrics, which thank the person for being there when they thought they were alone. It is also a reminder that only some of the time do we need to make it out of the dark without help and can confide in others. This is Brandon once again telling his wife that he’s always going to be there and she doesn’t have to suffer from her mental illness in silence. This could be a track that wasn’t quite good enough for the previous album, but Brandon felt that its unique beat and storyline fit perfectly on this record.

Running Towards a Place:

What with the biblical story on the previous track and the ongoing theme of religion, this album is very much invested in faith, and it’s no different on this track. Brandon could be a religious Mormon, but I am unsure. But on this track, he wants to believe that heaven and hell exist and to go to heaven and take the people he loves and cares about. Brandon has done a lot of soul-searching during the production of the record.

My God:

Weyes Blood’s vocals complement Brandon’s beautifully over what I can only describe as a hymnal rock (Does that genre exist? Surely, it must do?). I know that Brandon talks about being relieved that something weighing him down has now been lifted and wants to celebrate that fact. It might be again about his wife and how talking to her and dedicating a whole album to her mental health has made him understand and become a better person and husband.

When the Dreams Run Dry:

This appears to be a follow-up to “Running Towards a Place” with the theme of getting to heaven but aimed more at the pop market and seems to be the sole pop track on the entire album.

Imploding the Mirage:

The album closes with the title track and is appropriately upbeat—the best way to complete any record. You want the listener to have enjoyed the experience and leave them washed with euphoria as the last song fades out. Brandon talks about how he first locked eyes with his wife and how their opposite personalities were worth the danger of combining—a superb way to end another magnificent album.

Song recommendations: “Holding the Mirage”, “My Own Soul’s Warning”, “Caution”.

9/10

Week Thirty-Nine: the Killers- Wonderful Wonderful

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The_Killers_-_Wonderful_Wonderful

In the News Musical Express, I once read that frontman Brandon Flowers spent most of his time apologising for the last album. So, was there an improvement from the 2012 record, “Battle Born” (I actually didn’t find it all that bad.)? To be blunt, yes, there was.

This record has gone more diverse with its sound, akin to upbeat indie, psychedelic and country. If I were to draw comparisons, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, and Mumford and Sons have inspired them. It will certainly be a shock to the system for the avid followers of the band and may turn them off their music. If it does, then you’re just ignorant and close-minded to the fact that with music or any art, you are free to express yourself in any way you wish. So, I tell the avid followers to listen with an open mind. There’s quite a bit of a 1980s touch to the album, and it is choc full of great tracks that are uplifting despite it being only ten tracks long.

“the Man” was the first single to tease the new record that is the second track in. I am not a fan of it, to be honest. It has that 1980s feel to it (I tend to cringe at most of the music in the 80’s when I hear them played.). Don’t get me wrong, I like some 80s disco, but this had far too much to my liking, and I certainly wouldn’t put it in the Nile Rodgers category (I would have definitely liked it, then.). Bad start to the album? Well, it’s 50/50, as I quite liked the title track.

My favourite track off the record for me has to be “Some Kind of Love”. This slow-paced track grabs your attention from the very first listen. The track sent me into a zen-like state with high-pitched backing vocals and Brandon’s soft vocals that allow you to take a break from reality and enter into another realm with nothing but peace and harmony.

The next standout track on the record was the track that followed, “Some Kind of Love”, titled “Out of My Mind”. Brandon actually wrote that track for his wife Tana, who suffers from anxiety and depression that led her to be diagnosed two years before this record was released, with post-traumatic stress disorder that was the result of her tough time growing up as a child. Already, you can tell this track is very emotionally charged, and Brandon certainly delivers that 

with heartfelt vocals. 

Most of this album has tracks that mention the emotions Brandon was experiencing in 2015 when he came off his solo tour to look after his wife. He stated that he found it extremely difficult to talk about her condition on the record but that it felt very powerful and helped him through a difficult time for both of them. Brandon even name-drops on this track about encounters with Paul McCartney about how the Killers met him at New Year’s Eve party, and he was too overcome with emotion to speak to Paul’s daughter, Stella, who was filming this gig. Then, he mentions how he tried to impress his wife when he met Bruce Springsteen, but all she was interested in was that she wanted him to be a good person and the ideal husband.

Overall: I loved that the album touched on the issue of mental health hidden behind an array of music genres and that Brandon let all his emotions flood out at a challenging time. I also found it extremely sweet that he practically dedicated an album to his wife, and although I didn’t like “the Man”, he pretty much conveys the message that he is the only one for her and will stand up and be counted. I’m sure Tana was very touched by “Wonderful Wonderful”. As I said previously, I didn’t think the previous album, “Battle Born”, was as bad as Brandon makes out, but this record eclipsed that easily with its raw emotion and touching on a subject that is a long way off losing the stigmatisation that envelopes it. Not only is it a great album, but it raises further awareness about mental health. With music’s power, the message certainly won’t be disregarded. 8/10