The Killers Can’t Escape Las Vegas’ Glare

noah | November 24, 2008 2:00 am

Our look at the closing lines of the biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to Day & Age, the third album by The Killers:

• “Like Vegas itself, Day & Age sometimes leans toward sensory overload. But the pull of its showgirls-and-fool’s-gold glory is undeniable.” [EW]

• “But will it endure? Somehow I doubt it. The Killers experience never quite escapes that trip-to-Las-Vegas sensation–instant sensory gratification, followed by a strangely hollow feeling.” [Telegraph]

• “Too bad all that drama sometimes weighs down Flowers—he’s developed quite a persecution complex. ‘Run and tell your friends I’m losing touch,’ he scoffs on ‘Losing Touch,’ and by ‘Neon Tiger’ he’s giving himself pep talks: ‘They’ll strategize and name you/But don’t you let them tame you!’ Relax, dude. With imagination like this, you’re doing fine.” [RS]

• “With neither the sugar rush of Hot Fuss nor the blustery thrills of Sam’s Town, this is the Killers’ most beguilingly strange record. As an accurate reflection of its frontman, it succeeds handsomely.” [Guardian]

• “That this all manages to sound like the same band is down in huge part to [producer Stuart] Price, but The Killers’ work ethic has also seen them become musicians to match the value-for-money rock stars they always were. Day & Age has no place on indie dancefloors–that’s not the point, we’ve got Friendly Fires and Justice for that now. And yes, as The Killers strut about rock’s premier league, there’s plenty to guffaw at. But just as much to admire.” [NME]

• “Ultimately, the poorer parts of Day & Age provide a terse lesson: Being derivative isn’t fatal. Being boring is.” [NY Daily News]

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