It’s been a long time since 2008’s Day & Age, a hiatus which has yielded solo efforts from three
of the four members of the Killers. This literal and musical space sets the
stage for an intriguing moment in the career of the band; a crossroads, to dip
into American imagery. Which way do they turn? What happens next? To answer
this question, Battle Born takes to
the stage.
And indeed it takes to the stage in devastating fashion.
‘Flesh and Bone’ starts slow and small and erupts into a triumphant chorus,
with Flowers challenging the listener with cries of “What are you made of?” It
is everything an album opener should be; it instantly grabs your attention and
holds it unswervingly. As this beginning is perfectly crafted, so the eponymous
final track follows the example of ‘Flesh and Bone’. ‘Battle Born’ is a
behemoth, flitting from acoustic verses to choruses stuffed with power chords
and massive layered backing vocals, a refrain full of battle cries and fully
loaded guitar riffs from Dave Keuning to a stunningly gentle coda filled with
arpeggios that dance in and out of each ear. It should be disparate and jarring
but it sounds like the most natural combination in the world.
So the bookends are taken care of, but what of the meat of
this record? What is unearthed here is much more of a mixed bag. The problems
where they arise tend to be problems of unfulfilled potential, and nowhere are
these more evident than in ‘Miss Atomic Bomb’. All the trademark Killers
touches are here, but there is nothing to elevate the song or give it any kind
of distinction. It begins to redeem itself towards the end of the track but
then fades out inexplicably, quashing any excuses made for the poor beginning.
Elsewhere, ‘The Rising Tide’ and ‘From Here On Out’ descend into full-scale
Americana without any real stamp of individuality on them, and on ‘Heart of a
Girl’ the band very nearly achieve a successful mellow sound that is spoiled
only by the discordant gospel presence.
Hidden in amongst these near-misses, however, are some real
gems. ‘Deadlines and Commitments’ is a pleasantly murky song with a strong 80s
influence, driven by the hypnotic rhythms provided by Ronnie Vanucci and Mark
Stoermer that culminate in a breakdown full of tribal drums and a throbbing
bass solo (and really, who doesn’t love a good bass solo?). ‘Be Still’ sees the
band veering towards the electronic edges of their creative mind and, combined
with Flowers’ particularly excellent vocal performance, makes for a poignant
offering. The rule for this record seems to be that when the Killers get it
right, they really get it right.
Battle Born is
many a mile away from the band’s lauded debut Hot Fuss, and many fans may lament this fact, but change should not
be lamented because it is inevitable. The Killers have changed and matured, and
throughout their career they have sought to try new sounds on for size.
Although they may not always be successful in this endeavour, they should at
least be given credit for trying.
7/10
Buy Battle Born here
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