Hot Fuss
by The Killers

One of my favorite albums of all-time. To me, this is pretty much the ideal combination of synth-pop and indie rock.

Jenny Was a Friend of Mine is one of my favorite opening tracks of all-time. Fueled by an incredibly catchy bassline and a loud and powerful chorus, this got me hooked on the Killers.

Mr. Brightside, probably the best song they've ever done, is ridiculously catchy and bounces from great melody to great melody, with emotional lyrics all the way through.

Smile Like You Mean It is a more somber track, driven by a nice synth hook. Brandon's low vocals are captivating, and this is a perpetually interesting song.

Somebody Told Me is the poppiest song they own, with the glamorous chorus that begs for radio plays. I'm not the biggest fan, but some of their most accessible material.

All These Things That I've Done is easily the most epic song in the Killers' catalogue, and is truly everything you could ask for in a song. Great buildup, catchy verses, amazing chorus, iconic lyrics.

Andy, You're a Star is the album's odd left turn, but a great one. The simple three chord structure turns some listeners off, but the track blossoms with a beautiful second half, supported by female backup singers.

On Top has an incredible synth beat and oozes sexiness throughout. I wasn't a huge fan at first, but this one just gets better and better with more listens.

Change Your Mind is a perpetually underrated track. While nothing about it will jump out at you at first, it has a very great riff and just a nice feel throughout. I love the earnest lyrics, and never tire of this one.

Believe Me Natalie is the most unremarkable track on the album and is unnecessarily long at over 5 minutes, but has nice moments. "Forget what they said in SoHo, leave the Oh! No!s out."

Midnight Show was another grower for me. With its fast-paced, synth influenced rhythm, it is definitely catchy. Brandon's vocals on the chorus are a high point on the album for me.

Everything Will Be Alright is probably the most unique song the Killers have ever released. And I love it. The vocal effects just ooze raw emotion, and make this probably my favorite sad pop song. The guitar solo at the end provides great closure for the album, and a distinct feeling of satisfaction.

I can agree with the comments about unevenness to a degree. The first 5 tracks are certainly all-time classics, but because they're so good, any song would fall short for almost any band.

However, Andy, You're a Star, Believe Me, Natalie, and Change Your Mind are all good tracks as well. Maybe they lose luster in the context of the album, but still good songs! But the other second half songs are certainly a step down.

85/100 (Edited)

From hereforashortime 01/13/2017 21:21 | #182559 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

The lyrics, the music, the vocals, everything is great, sadly the killers never really successfully followed it up

From jhuik TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/31/2011 23:36 | #34060 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Seldom in music history has an album featured such a glaring disjunction between brilliant singles (three of them, here) and horrible, mind-numbingly forgettable filler.

Have to say that I was ready to completely hate this. However, the opening track really surprised me. Sadly it was slightly downhill from there, a few songs sounds very similar to each other and sadly i've been in enough nightclubs claiming to offer alternative music that I hate Mr Brightside.

The lyrics are terrible, particular highlights include: 'Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend...' and 'I got soul but i'm not a soilder'.

The singer is average at best, sounds like he is shouting a lot of the time. The band is competent but uninspiring.

Overall, a decent collection of songs, wouldn't bother listening again, however relatively inoffensive to the ears and some well crafted numbers.