The Killers
Sam's Town

This is my first review, not the first ever, just for this site, and I chose to review an album that has had (unjustly) little relevance in Italy, while it has been praised by critics overseas; it is "Sam's Town," the second work by The Killers, who return two years after their debut with "Hot Fuss" released in 2004.

Listening to "Hot Fuss" and the beautiful "Somebody Told Me", I had the feeling they were a great band, which is why I listened carefully to their entire first album, but I was a bit negatively surprised by the final result; the album felt unfinished, the potential was visible, it could be perceived, but it couldn't be fully appreciated from the album; I told myself, "it will be better the second time around."

And so it was, "Sam's Town" is an album finally complete and accomplished, stunning both from a sonic and lyrical standpoint; monumental arrangements almost make it a masterpiece, without ever falling into the trite, a sort of concept album that is the ideal continuation of "Hot Fuss", without being a copy of it. There are no falls from the first to the thirteenth song, it's a rich musical journey; compared to the first album, guitar riffs have increased and the 80's style keyboards still take center stage, but the mix with the guitars is much more fluid and linear.

The beautiful title track "Sam's Town" is a clear example, with keyboard and guitar riffs that make everything perfect, rich arrangements and a theatrical ending that closes a very powerful and rich song. It continues with a very short piece, "Interlude", which with "Exitlude" (the same piece reprised, but in a longer version) opens and closes the album imaginatively.

The first single is found at number 3, "When You Were Young", a spectacular and explosive song (and let's be honest, not everyone can afford Tim Burton directing the video clip); a little gem is at number 4 "Bling (Confession Of A King)", a song that grows gradually, with a seductive yet determined bass line (but the bass is an essential component of all the songs, credit to the skill of the band's bassist), Brandon Flowers' voice reaching an incredible pathos at the end along with the music, once again bursting into theatricality.

Tracks 5 and 6, "For Reason Unknow" and "Read My Mind", flow well, without being miraculous but they are pop/rock pieces, especially track 6 of fine quality, track 7 "Uncle Johnny" might turn out to be perhaps the weakest track of the album, but that hypnotic guitar riff throughout the song leaves a hint of curiosity that pushes you to listen again and appreciate the song, here we're very close to British-made alternative rock, but with a touch of lightness that doesn't hurt.

The second single "Bones" is at number 8, even here the classic Killers style is maintained with keyboards and guitars blending perfectly, with an added trumpet component that makes the song a bit retro, but extremely captivating. In the final part, the album offers two more gems of rare skill, such as the powerful "This River Is Wild" and "Why Do I Keep Counting?", two very different songs that confirm the band's ability not to repeat itself and not to fall into clichés that many bands can no longer escape from; in "Why Do I Keep Counting?" Flowers' vocal presence is at its peak, the song changes melody three times until it reaches the majestic finale. The bonus track is almost a darker experiment than the previous songs, with bass leading until the guitar explosion at the end.

Well, what can I say, I give 5 stars to this album, not a single fall, never boring or repetitive, always effective in every melody, and the awareness of listening to a band that has its style, albeit derived from multiple influences, but still a style.

All that's left is to await their third effort, to understand if they are fit to enter the pantheon of the greatest or not... I see good chances.