Is The Killers’ new album really all that Wonderful Wonderful? [Review]
Since the career-defining albums of Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town, The Killers have struggled to hit the same dizzying heights with their follow-up albums. Wonderful Wonderful sadly feels similar to their more recent material, but there are moments which remind us why they became indie-rock titans in the first place.
Debut single The Man is the funkiest and sassiest Killers track to date, with backing ahhs filling the mix, while frontman Brandon Flowers oozes confidence as he projects: “I got gas in the tank, I got money in the bank, I got news for you baby, you’re looking at the man”. The melody is truly infectious, as is Run for Cover, which despite some clumsy lyrics, still boasts a power-pop chorus.
But apart from the catchy and summery Out of my Mind, the rest of Wonderful Wonderful is quite slow (Some Kind of Love), dull (Rut), and full of bad lyrics (Tyson v Douglas).
What’s worse, the rest of the band have seemingly disappeared. There are barely any glam-rock guitar riffs from Dave Keuning, except for the outro of Life to Come, while Ronnie Vannucci’s drumming has lost all personality.
Wonderful Wonderful isn’t bad, but it feels like a movie trailer that already gave away the best bits.
Edited by Charlotte Ames-Ettridge