Upon hearing The Killers’ first single “Runaways” from their forthcoming album, “Battle Born,” it seemed that the band was headed in a positive new direction. The song, in the same vein as their single “When You Were Young” from their sophomore effort “Sam’s Town,” explores the premise of youth and uncertain futures in a quiet yet rousing melody supported by sweeping instrumentals full of aggressive guitar chords and upbeat synths.
However, in hearing the album in its entirety, “Battle Born” seems to offer little else besides these motifs of young love and loss. The entire LP, written or co-written by lead singer Brandon Flowers, explores the mistakes young people make, especially toward the ones they love.
While these themes could resonate with any audience, Flowers seems to be retreading the same territory with different chorus lines, and the result is both uninspired and redundant. In “The Way It Was,” Flowers yearns for his relationship to be the way it once was, and in “Here With Me” he coos, “Don’t want your memory in my head, no/ I want you here with me.”
The listener definitely feels the pain of the singer but may also feel tempted to tally how many times Flowers says “remember” over the course of the album. Nostalgia can only go so far, and it seems as though The Killers are battling their own growth, both musically and personally.
Many of the songs, such as “Flesh and Bone” and “Miss Atomic Bomb,” feature The Killers’ brand of signature ’80s pop synth paired with variations of guitar, bass and percussion, but the band never deviates or explores anything beyond a ballad or a mid-tempo piece. In fact, the album sounds more like Flowers’ solo work and lacks The Killers’ high energy sound.
Besides “Runaways,” there are other high points toward the end of the album, such as “The Rising Tide” which is a more upbeat song about enjoying life as it is. “From Here On Out” has a beat and sound reminiscent of the band The Pretenders, and deals with the anxiety of growing up and keeping in contact with the ones you love.
However, “Battle Born” feels like one long interchangeable series of slow ’80s pop ballads, a far cry from their undeniably catchy and idiosyncratic debut album “Hot Fuss.” Flowers still possesses lyricism and his voice is unfaltering in these somber pieces, but The Killers seem stifled and unable to move away from the past as they wallow in their regret and lost love.
While songs always preach that love is a battlefield, this “Battle” doesn’t feel like one worth fighting for.
““ Michael Palumbo
Email Palumbo at mpalumbo@media.ucla.edu.