Four years is a long time to keep fans waiting, especially with the crazed fan base that the Killers enjoy. The band’s last album, Day & Age (2008), turned out one major smash hit, “Human,” with a chorus that unfailingly inspires sing-alongs while creating confusion about how “dancer” is somehow the opposite of “human.” However, on that electronia- and disco-inspired album, the band otherwise failed to produce the kind of sweeping, energetic anthems of 2004’s Hot Fuss and 2006’s Sam’s Town which made them such a deservedly successful group.
That gradual descent that began with Day & Age only takes a deeper dive with Battle Born, whose lethargic ballads dilute the rock roots of the Vegas-based quartet, confirming that their star is indeed dimming.
The album’s opening track, “Flesh and Bone,” is drenched in synths with little other musical variety. Unfortunately, this lackluster track sets the tone for the rest of the album. For instance, “The Way It Was” is a fairly likable, dreamy song with lyrics that recall driving through the band’s native Nevada. And yet, “Here with Me” has the same gist with much less success, and too many clichés in both music and lyrics; it sounds less like a Killers hit and more like a cheesy 80s radio song. “A Matter of Time” thankfully picks up the pace with a catchy chorus, but the next few songs once again take a dip into monotony.
The one exception on this otherwise-disappointing album is “Runaways,” the single with lyrics drawing from the best of the Killers’ overarching nostalgic theme– “teenage rush, she said, ain’t we all just runaways / we got time but that ain’t much, we can’t wait ‘til tomorrow.” The resurrection of the slamming electric guitar and drums that brought the Killers fame in the first place adds to the sweeping quality of this song.
Though the album’s title track admits a somewhat graceful exit for the band as a plausible stadium anthem, it hardly makes up for what turns out to be an incredibly dull record. Taking too many detours from their signature musical style, the Killers have lost the endearing passion that earned them success in the first place.
