Initial reports on the Killers' second album suggested that Brandon Flowers's new-found love of all things-Springsteen would be a major factor in moulding the Las Vegas quartet's sophomore outing. Supposedly eschewing their Britpop/synth-loving ways for a more rounded, American and guitar-based sound, Sam's Town - complete with dapper, Anton Corbijn-shot sleeve art - was to be, by all accounts, a 'new direction' for The Killers. The reality? It's a mediocre, hammy attempt at a slightly-different musical trajectory that doesn't quite transpire how they may have intended it to. Hot Fuss, their debut, was an incredibly enjoyable, if eventually excessively-overplayed trove of synth-pop treasures; and while some would praise The Killers for adapting a somewhat divergent style, it's more likely that they couldn't squeeze out another whole album of similar material. Opening with the title track, their more expansive, big-budget, Big Top sound is instantly striking; Sam's Town provides a circus ringmaster-style incitement pinned by Flowers's tenuous warble. Both Enterlude and Exitlude continue along the theatrical slant, yet their self-indulgent lyricism ('It's good to have you with us / Even if it's just for the day') and watery piano coda are embarrassing, sounding like something an amateur dramatics group would close a show at the community hall with. When You Were Young is an early U2/Springsteen anthem that was very obviously written with stadium performances in mind, and For Reasons Unknown is just a bland, standard addition to a collection of bland, standard additions, utilising the already tried-and-tested blur-of-guitar sound they perfected with Hot Fuss. Though Flowers is obviously trying hard, his voice is simply too unvarying to carry such robust, spacious songs; he needs a clever riff or a sharp groove to feed off, and Sam's Town just doesn't contain enough of either. There are some moments that hint at the promise and excitement The Killers originally imbibed: Bling (Confession of a King) is suffused with nervous tension, while Why Do I Keep Counting? is a glossy, dreamlike space odyssey and the most singalong-able track they've done since.. well, All These Things That I've Done. The best track here by far though, is closer Where the White Boys Dance. An ominous, dark number that pogos back and forth with a warning whisper, it provides a conciliatory comfort that perhaps all is not yet lost with The Killers, despite what's on offer here.
