![musicreview]()
No matter your opinion of U2, attempting to be the American version is a daunting task.
In an
interview with Clash Music during 2004, the lead singer of The Killers made clear his dreams of being America’s answer to U2 early into the band’s career. The indie-rock band’s debut album, “Hot Fuss” recently has passed through its first decade. Recorded during 2004 and released in the United Kingdom and the United States, the Las Vegas band got its first record label deal in London under Lizard King Records.
“Hot Fuss” was quickly a favorite throughout the U.K. and the U.S. It spent
nearly three and a half years on the U.K. Albums Chart. In the U.S., the album reached number seven on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than three million copies.
With interesting keyboard movements and steady, moving rhythm and guitar, “Hot Fuss” brings “the bump to the grind,” so to speak. Incredibly upbeat, but with some interestingly contradictory lyrics, this album was a soon-to-be classic. Some might say the album was a little synth-heavy, but with many influences coming from ‘80s pop bands, you have to give The Killers a pat on the back for creating a genuine rock band with its own flavor of melancholy and flare. The songwriting, done mostly by lead singer Brandon Flowers, is inventive and heart-wrenchingly real.
In the song “All These Things That I’ve Done,” Flowers intones in his characteristically beautiful and hypnotic voice to the crowd the chant, “I’ve got soul, but I’m not soldier,” referring to his
contradicting Mormon religions and the pull of the rock and roll scene with the help of the Sweet Inspirations, who sang with Elvis, The Bee Gees and Jimi Hendrix.
“Andy, You’re A Star,” a smooth, pumped-up ballad that displays Flowers’ range, is about a homecoming king and star athlete that he went to high school with. One of the album’s most famous tracks, “Mr. Brightside,” is about an ex-girlfriend who cheated on Flowers. You can hear the raw emotions and regrets of the past, but also sense the desperate hope for a new beginning.
While maybe not considered a classic just yet, The Killers’ “Hot Fuss” definitely will be an influence on bands to come. The remarkable reality in this album’s lyrics is what has kept it relevant for a decade and what will keep bringing generations back to rediscover the soulful and painful-yet-hopeful songs.
For an upbeat ride and great driving music, check out “Hot Fuss” by following this link:
https://play.spotify.com/album/4undIeGmofnAYKhnDclN1w
