Lopez Blogs

Looking back ~ Sam’s Town: By the time the Killers’ all important sophomore set was announced, I had all but worn out every song, demo and outtake associated with the excellent Hot Fuss. I was still tingling all over everytime I listened to All These Things I’ve Done and Somebody Told Me was still sounding gloriously sexually ambiguous on the stereo. So initially Sam’s Town came as a little bit of a shock when it pretty much ditched the love of all things English and started painting on a much broader canvas. Clearly B-Flo had been fingering all things Bruce Springsteen and U2, and had his sights set on the type of global domination the latter act achieved. However, it didn’t take away from the earnest heartfelt vocals and relateable lyrics that made the first album so endearing. Lead off single When You Were Young was a bombastic anthem that quite rightly, dominated the charts and then the stadium festivals that followed. Guitar, melody and grandiose production underscore tracks like Bling, Bones (love the ace horn breaks), For Reasons Unknown and Read My Mind. More introspective songs shine through on tracks like Uncle Johnny and Why Do I Keep Counting, as the band continue to experiment with their song writing and craftsmanship. Over a year since it’s release, i’m listening to it more than I did when it first came out and finding new passions and hidden depths all the time. Not a flawless piece of work, but much more enjoyable than it’s detractors would have you believe.



The collection ~ Sawdust: As I stated earlier, bsides and rarities collections are increasingly rare nowadays thanks to the ongoing dominance of tracks being available online. However to the technologically challenged, and completist fans, this is not a bad little collection - and B-Flo and his cowboys are sticking to the mormon rule of tithing by giving that extra ten percent to ensure that it’s got something new for everyone. And of course that comes in the “double b-side” single tracks of Shadowplay (a Joy Division cover) and Tranquilise (a duet with Lou Reed). My preference at the moment goes with the Lou Reed track - a darkly haunting number, that features a looming chorus topped off with a children’s choir. It’s strangely loveable, addictive and quite quite gloomy. Very removed I think from the sounds in Sam’s Town and another intruiging new direction for the band. The rest of the album is a collection of outtakes from both album sessions and ace cover versions, ranging from Kenny Rogers (a pretty shuffling and poignant version of Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town) to Dire Straits (Romeo and Juliet - pleasant enough, but doesn’t really add anything new to the tune). The real find for fans here is Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf - the missing link in the murder trilogy of songs is a catchy number that slides nicely along side the other two tunes. On top of that, Move Away and Show You How are both blisteringly energetic and fun (once you get past the rubbishy singing into an answering machine bit on the latter). Ideal for the curious completist like myself and burned onto a computer, adding last years and this years (?) Christmas tunes makes it a fairly decent package.