I’ve been excited for a new The Killers album ever since it was announced over a year ago.
In my opinion, they haven’t had a good album since 2006’s “Sam’s Town,” but with the five years it took them to put out their latest album, “Wonderful Wonderful,” I hoped it would be quality.
And overall, it is. The Killers managed to balance sticking to their rock ‘n’ roll sound while experimenting with new things.
The album starts with the title song, “Wonderful Wonderful,” which has a conch shell sound and a steady beat underneath. A lone bass guitar introduces the drums and vocals. “Don’t you listen to the never / Keep praying for rain / Dancing for rain, little girl, by the drain / Motherless child, rescue rescue.” The whole effect makes me think of a rain dance around a bonfire, but with a modern twist.
The next song is “The Man,” and the first time I heard this song, I didn’t like it because it seemed overly boastful. But after a few listens, it seems like a fun, upbeat song. The song repeatedly says, “Nothing can break me down,” and since it was the first single released in the album, I think it’s just the band’s way of coming back swinging.
The next song confirms my idea. The band tells the listeners, “Don’t give up on me / ‘Cause I’m just in a rut.” They realize that they haven’t been in the public eye for a while, and while not being the greatest song on the album, admitting to that is something I’ve never seen a band do in a song and I applaud them for that. The next couple songs are just pure The Killers. Nothing new or different, but something fans of the band will like.
My favorite song on the album is probably “Tyson vs Douglas.” Sound bites from the 1990 boxing match between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas play in various parts of the song, and I found the sporadic rhythm that Brandon Flowers sings to be very interesting. The last few songs on the album are pretty typical to The Killers’ sound. The album ends with “Have All the Songs Been Written?” which has the philosophical questions and steady buildup that I have come to associate with The Killers.
“Wonderful Wonderful,” while not being anything groundbreaking, just seems as if The Killers had a lot of fun making the album, and shows that they still have a few good songs left in them.
Monica Brich is a junior in mass communications writing on behalf of KSDB, Kansas State’s student-run radio station. The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian or KSDB. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com and visit ksdbfm.org for more reviews.
