Can Killers regain form at UCSD? Stay tuned
By Chris Nixon
San Diego Union-Tribune
April 5, 2007
New Wave and the United Kingdom seem to go hand-in-hand.
The Killers' sophomore album, "Sam's Town," sold well in the U.S. and overseas but falls flat compared to the band's debut, "Hot Fuss." The UK can be a gloomy, cold place, with a penchant for all things musical. New Wave, a synth-driven pop style developed in the 1980s, is the antidote for English weather: just enough mope to relate to the rain and enough dance floor pop to get you through the day. From New Order to The Buggles to Duran Duran, Brits love New Wave.
Lying approximately 5,000 miles away from London, the newest wave of New Wave hails from the dry heat and sparkling glitz of Las Vegas. Rising out of the Nevada desert like a sequined impersonator wrapped in a Union Jack, Vegas band The Killers revives the classic New Wave sounds of the 1980s, gaining more love abroad than in the New World.
DATEBOOK
The Killers, with Howling Bells 8 p.m. Tuesday;UCSD's RIMAC Arena, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla;
$41.50; (858) 534-6467
Born out of equal fascinations with Bono's iconoclastic frontman persona, The Edge's chiming guitars and Duran Duran's 1980s synth sounds, The Killer's version of New Wave plays better in the UK than in the States. The band's 2004 debut, “Hot Fuss,” caused a stir in Europe, propelling The Killers to No. 1 on the UK charts while going platinum (1 million sales) four times over in record sales.
Sporting singles like “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” the crisp production and insanely hummable choruses caught crowds in the United States, too (No. 7 on the charts, triple-platinum sales).
Following the debut's critical attention and popular success turned out to be a tough task for singer Brandon Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
The sophomore effort, “Sam's Town,” falls flat compared to the band's first disc. Gone are the infectious hooks. Present are Flowers' tendency toward whine and cheese.
Building on the popular momentum of “Hot Fuss,” “Sam's Town” sold well both stateside and overseas – platinum-plus in the States, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
But musically, the album falls far short of the band's early promise, an indication that just maybe, The Killers got too big too fast. Recent appearances on Austin City Limits and the 2005 Street Scene were far from electrifying.
As the spotlight fades and fickle crowds grow bored with rehashed retro nostalgia, The Killers might consider a relocation into favored territory. Flights to London are cheap this time of year.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
