We hope you enjoyed your stay
It’s good to have you with us, even if it’s just for the day
In hindsight we can wonder if this supercharged time capsule was intentionally prescient, or unwittingly; recognising that the zeitgeist to which the band were conceived was ephemeral. Sam’s Town is a reflective album that pines for lost Americana but ends up being a fable on the band’s own career and the indie scene at large.
And sometimes you close your eyes
And see the place where you used to live
When you were young
On this record, The Killers stretch by-the-by synth rock songs to their utmost, a cavalier abundance of heightened climaxes. A barrage of power-pop in which Flowers flaunts his introspections fantastically, and the melodies hold up in the quieter moments also (interludes & the wonderful non-sequitur opening of My List). Unfazed and naturally showy, to good effect.
You better run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world don’t watch it turn
Most will listen with one ear harking back to Hot Fuss. They’re symbiotic. Sam’s Town cannot exist without Hot Fuss, and Hot Fuss deserved a worthy successor for the audience they mobilised.
Not as raw or as riveting as it’s predecessor. Where Hot Fussed romanticised and dared it’s listener into rapture, Sam’s Town let them know that euphoria is temporary, and reminiscing pales.
Aggressively we all defend the role we play
Regrettably time’s come to send you on your way
