The cover of the new album by the Killers, Wonderful, Wonderful, is their fifth studio album. Photo courtesy of Island Records.
In their latest album, Wonderful Wonderful, the Killers have ditched the guy-liner and self destructing rock anthems and replaced them with deep, soul searching funk.
Released last Friday, Sept. 22, Wonderful Wonderful shows a side of The Killers that fans have never seen before. Having been on a 5-year hiatus since their last album, Battle Born, frontman Brandon Flowers puts his tumultuous journey on display through personal anecdotes throughout Wonderful Wonderful.
“I really wanted to inhabit my 36 years on this record so I made a conscious effort to really capture where I’m at right now,” Flowers said about his process.
If you are hoping for sounds like the high school anthems “Somebody Told Me” or “Mr. Brightside,” look elsewhere.
The starter track, “Wonderful Wonderful,” immerses the listener into the nuances of The Killers’ new endeavors. A lifting, synthesized conch shell sound introduces a bellowing bass melody. The song possesses sultry and deep elements that can be found in famous seventies tracks by artists such as Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie. Those include the dramatic tone of voice that Flowers uses when he enters the chorus and the prominent undertones of the bass guitar and beating drums in the background.
The Killers dabble in more seventies influences throughout the new album. Many of the songs possess disco-age elements such as prominent bass, hi-hat led beats and distinct usage of the wah-wah pedal.
The glam rock comes to light early in the album, especially in the second song “The Man.” When I tune into this track, I picture a glistening disco ball and outrageously colored gogo boots. Upbeat bass and an animated choir explode as Flowers kicks off the verse in a jerky, frantic manner. The lyrics reflect a mockery of a version of Flowers’ adolescent self, an individual who is consumed by the rush of confidence that can come from money and fame.
Flowers’ voice remains the band’s and the album’s leading feature. His voice has been the strained perfection throughout every song the band has produced since their beginnings in 2002. In Wonderful Wonderful, one of the most memorable vocal moments was when I first listened to the song “Some Kind of Love.”
Throughout the song Flowers bumps his voice into a silky-smooth falsetto. The song, based on Brian Eno’s 1883 song, “An Ending (Ascent),” offers a celestial, moody experience that makes this ballad utterly beautiful.
Flowers pours his personal life in the music, adding complexity to its sound and meaning. The lyrics reveal his past struggles to support his family and his at times strained relationship with his children. The song “Tyson Vs. Douglas,” named after the 1990 fight when undefeated Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas, reflects on his own wish to never have his sons see him be defeated, Flowers told Billboard.
The message in “Tyson Vs. Douglas” carries into the song “The Calling.” But diversifying the sound are voiceovers, acting as pick-me-ups and providing context to an album full of heavy themes. In “Tyson Vs. Douglas” a radio excerpt from the match gave a brief report from the match. In “The Calling” actor Woody Harrelson, recites Bible verse, Matthew 9:11, reflecting Flowers’ relationship with Mormonism.
The groovy vibes I experienced listening to this album along with the personal touches made by Flowers left me content with the band’s new material. Wonderful Wonderful proves the growing maturity of the band. The Killers’ past will forever hold a spot in my heart, but as my life and taste of music has evolved since “Mr. Brightside,” my love for the band continues as Wonderful Wonderful showcases the band’s evolution as well.
Contact arts writer Sam Danshes at Samantha.danshes@colorado.edu.
