It’s taken almost four years for The Killers [Twitter/Facebook] to get to where they are now, and even then, there were some who thought they wouldn’t get here at all. Frontman Brandon Flowers released his solo debut Flamingo in 2010, fuelling rumours of a split, and even though this turned out to be untrue, it was clear that the other members of the band wanted to pursue extracurricular activities for a while (aside from lead guitarist Dave Keuning): drummer Ronnie Vanucci Jr. was involved with Big Talk last year, and bassist Mark Stoermer released his own solo album, Another Life, last year.
As time passed, though, it became clear that the band wanted to be The Killers again. They were coming off the weakest album of their career thus far: 2008’s patchy Day & Age found them locked in somewhat of an identity crisis – aside from the singles, there wasn’t all that much on offer that hinted at former glories, aside from epic closer Goodnight, Travel Well. They knew that they couldn’t afford another misstep, and it just so happens that their new record, Battle Born, is better than anything any band member’s been involved in over the past four years. Considerably so, in fact.
While it’s definitely not as good overall as Sam’s Town (unpopular opinion time: it’s my favourite album of theirs), and doesn’t hit the heights of Hot Fuss, not only does it show that the band aren’t yet finished, but also that they have plenty of juice left in the tank. Lead single Runaways was The Killers trying their best to be themselves again, and sounded like it came straight from the Sam’s Town era, which, as you may have guessed, was just fine in my book. They don’t just want to dine out on former glories, though – they’ve definitely moved on as a band. Four years away will do that.
Opener Flesh and Bone‘s synths-and-drums-driven soundscape presents us with one of best choruses the band have ever written, proving that, after all this time, they still know how to open an album. They always did, of course. The same is true of the ambitious closer, the album’s title track, which finishes the record in suitably grandiose fashion, anchored around a dazzling riff from Keuning. In between, it’s a mixed bag, but not in terms of quality. The run from Flesh And Bone through Miss Atomic Bomb is quite impressive, taking in the supremely confident The Way It Was, the arms-aloft balladry of Here With Me, and the huge-sounding duo of A Matter of Time and Deadlines and Commitments along the way.
The Killers have a reputation for making inconsistent albums (Sam’s Town aside – six years have passed, and I have nothing but praise for it now), but there’s none of that here. Most of Battle Born‘s back half is composed of songs that don’t make as much impact on first listen as what preceded them (Heart of a Girl in particular), but perseverance is key; The Rising Tide proves that this is an album that will find a home in stadia worldwide, and even when they go a little bit country – no, really, there’s a slide guitar riff on From Here On Out – they manage to pull that off with aplomb. Be Still, meanwhile, needs to be a single; it may be the best ballad they’ve written thus far.
It’s hard to come back after four years and deliver an album like this. It’s not their best work, sure, but by lowering expectations, the band have returned with an album that’s surprising for all the right reasons. The album’s title references the nickname of the band’s home state of Nevada, but its deeper meaning is also quite clear: invigorated and energised once more, the band aren’t prepared to go down without a fight, and it’s one they just might win.
Battle Born is out now via Mercury Records.
