The Killers - Who Turned the Lights Off?

Okay. I remember rave reviewing “Sam’s Town” in 2006, and being highly ecstatic at just conceiving the sounds, and influences behind their all-career important second album, and being even more thrilled that they’d cracked it. It’s hard to believe that it really is the same Nevada band two years down the line.
I must say that “Day and Age” was regarded by myself as looking to be one of the musical highlights of the year, for the end of 2008, and not only does it: shock, appall and utterly upset me to say it, but it truly is a poor attempt at keeping their indie rock ‘n’roll Americana dream alive.

And I wonder, is the reasoning behind it complacency? Or Arrogance? Who knows, but what is fact, is that it’s an absolute shame and disgrace to themselves, and I can’t help but feel sympathy and sorrow for them. The days were great when they were the Princes of Indie, and every Brit adopted them into their hearts as one of their own, they were our band, our saviours. But let’s focus on the tense there, that was then and this is now, and perhaps we should just pawn them back off to America. Harsh? Maybe…

Tracks such as “Joy Ride” and “I Can’t Stay” sound as if they belong to the Lion King OST, so Elton John may as well have sat down and put his feet up. “Day and Age” is as dull as dull gets, for saying that these were the masters that once opened up a whole world of twinkling lights, and provided us with the indie delights of “Bones” and “Somebody Told Me”. Just how did they lose their magic?
To hear this third installment in contrast to “Hot Fuss” and “Sam’s Town” is unbelievable, and absolutely soul-destroying for dedicated fans and that includes myself. I tried and tried, and tried to get into it but there was no give. I’ve only just got comfortable with listening to “Human”, but let’s not forget the whole controversy that the song’s lyrics sparked as well. The whole thing as a package just seems half-hearted. You can’t even call it background music.
Let’s also not forget that Razorlight and The Killers arrived on the scene at the same time, and have since released albums at coincidentally similar times, they both released superb first and second records, seeing Razorlight storm on with the third “Slipway Fires”, but what happened to Mr. Flowers? The only thing the album does for you is make your mind boggle as to what happened to this once epic four piece.

I’ll grant that perhaps they’re aspiring to be newer Bob Dylans, continuing to tell stories within the songs, but they’ve been there and done that, and they have proven they can do it right, i.e. “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”, but at least make some music to accompany it, which is what they’ve failed to do in this case. It also comes across that whatever their intentions, or desired effect was, is just lost in translation.
Having seen The Killers at V’07, just before they set off to make album 3, their show-stopping performance held so many promises and expectations as to what they were capable of next as they were banging out the hits, that at a glance, “Day and Age” makes them unrecognizable. I mean, “Spaceman”? Come on…!? It’s just not a patch on the early stuff.
Oh well…there’s always Razorlight, but Mr. Flowers et. al better redeem themselves 4th time round, and until then we need some serious reassurance that there are greater things ahead.

KIWI LOVIN'

26 year old Pip Brown, AKA: Ladyhawke is BIG, and radical. If you haven’t heard of her by now, you soon will; exploding onto the scene just like her music. Just thinking of her whole concept, the sound, the dress, and the feel just makes me giddy. Brilliance is here!

Dubbed as a take on “Peaches”, and ironically also friends with her, take this on board along with a bit of Goldfrapp glamour, and the fresh sound of the YYY’s and you’re there. Her newly released self-titled album is 62 minutes of funk, and is so rock ‘n’ roll that even Noel Fielding may be quaking in his platinum platforms.
Undoubtedly being played in NME hot houses everywhere, she IS one of the cool kids, apparent both in sound and look. Full of spunk and freshness, Miss Ladyhawke even plays all instruments, especially noted on the rather synthed up, and exquisite “Back of the Van”. Here, her influences of Stevie Nicks also come to life, as the echoes of such former female rockstars are reminisced during the verses. And with musical family roots, it seems she was always destined to be superb, and that she sure is.

This album IS a must-buy, and not just for the fashionable look on your shelf, but for the dancing, the innovative sounds as heard on the likes of “Love don’t Live Here” and “Paris is Burning”, and the addictive factor. Even I’ve reached 219 plays according to the good old last.fm scrobbler.
Now residing in London, it’s awesome that we’ve got a claim on her, it’s almost as if an ET set down and unleashed this array of infectious and mighty rock’n’roll upon us, totally indoctrinating us all, just as her recent single “My Delirium” portrays. This song in particular, is an example of her stimulating and catchy cascades of music, which will wash all over you, and I’m not the only one to say so. Critics have suggested listening to her re-mixes just to keep it all alive, as they too keep putting her on replay.

So, she’s electro-pop, yes, electro-punk, yes, new-rave, yes and indie; all rolled into one glorious package. Reaching many genres and across many mediums, it appears that she may just be the new Queen of Rock we’ve been looking for, and as we reach the end of the year, it also looks as though it’ll be an intense and vastly promising 2009 for Pip Brown.