Like it or not, with Julian Casablancas falling off the planet, The Killers have gradually become the most important American rock band of this generation. At first glance, in 2003, they appeared to be mostly flash and little substance, but their debut, Hot Fuss, has aged like wine, slowly gaining the respect of pretty much everyone willing to give it a fair shake - critics, hipsters, elitists alike. The allure of "Mr. Brightside" (both the album version and Jacques LuCont's unbelievably awesome remix) and "Somebody Told Me" was undeniable, and the album later revealed "All These Things I've Done", "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine", and "On Top" to be great songs as well. Hot Fuss is by no means a perfect album, but for a debut, it surpasses most of its peers. The album went plat 4 times over, and the band toured the world several times on the back of its success.

It isn't surprising then that The Killers reach a little higher with their sophomore effort, Sam's Town. Brandon Flowers has loudly hyped his newfound love of the Boss, and he does his best to ape Bruce's glory days here. At first listen, the new vocal stylings are a bit offputting, but after a few spins, I think Flowers' voice sounds better on this album than it did on the hyper-produced Hot Fuss. Many critics have found the epic road tunes of Sam's Town to ring false, but I'm not so sure they do. This is a band that has, in fact, been on the road for the past two years straight. It seems Flowers wants to celebrate what he's seen in the whirlwind of the first album's success, but at the same time is pretty excited to be home. He sings on the opening title track, "But I know that I can make it/As long as somebody takes me home/every now and then." These are not unique sentiments, especially for a band coming off its first successes.

After the opener sets the tone, the band inserts a pointless and ridiculous "Enterlude", which absolutely kills the momentum of the album. The obvious but excellent single, "When You Were Young" is the real track 2 and is the album's "Born to Run". It's easy to imagine the cliched, pretty, middle-aged waitress in a dusty desert town dreaming of running away with a beautiful boy who talks like a gentleman. The tragically titled "Bling (Confessions of a King)" comes next. This song fuggin rocks, no way around it, but man, what a godawful title. Get ready to hear it blaring out of jukeboxes at bars everywhere. The outro ("higher and higher...") provides the album's best moment, with its perfect phrasing and scream along melody. You'll want to crank it and sing at the top of your lungs in your car; trust me. "For Reasons Unknown" feels a little like "Mr. Brightside" in tempo, but has none of the catchiness. "Read My Mind" is a shameless 80s Boss ballad rip off, but Flowers sounds great on this song so it really works. "Uncle Jonny" occupies the same space that "Andy You're a Star" did on Hot Fuss, and it achieves the same effect, i.e. it stops the momentum of the album and sets you up for a lackluster Side B. The Queen-tinged, horn-laden "Bones" is next. The choruses on this song seem really out of place to me. The verses feel ominous, and the choruses are just cheesy happy. I don't hear this being a single at all, but someone at Island must. "My List" owes something to Bowie, and its plodding tempo again makes it seem out of place on this record. "This River is Wild" gets back to the Springsteen-inspired lyrical content and fits well with the songs on the first half of the album. "Why Do I Keep Counting" is a good song about Flowers' fear of flying. The album closes with the very dumb and very pointless "Exitlude".

Sam's Town is a worthy follow up to Hot Fuss, but it suffers from the same flaws that that album did (a weak Side B and overproduction). The band has expanded their songwriting a little and dropped some of the glam for the road. Hot Fuss worked well in clubs and even on dance floors, whereas Sam's Town needs to be played out on the open road.