Battle Born
by The Killers

I think that the general assessment of The Killers' "Battle Born" has been way too negative and unfair. I think we are in a time when there are very few bands in the classic rock genre who write good songs and release interesting albums. Of course, you can not deny that The Killers, since the group's first two albums, have lost some edge and thus become more mainstream, but the good songwriting is absolutely still there. A comparison with bands that could be put into the same category like Coldplay or The Foo Fighters, The Killers won't fall through in any way through. Or what about yawners like "Nickelback"?
I find it hard to point out really weak numbers; you might, though, find "A Matter of Time" or "Deadlines and Commitments" less interesting. On the other hand, it is very easy to find strong new songs that have both durable melodies and powerful vocals by Flowers; wrapped up in well tested rock arrangemets. At random I could bring out "Here With Me", "Flesh and Bone", "Miss Atomic Bomb", "Runaways," "From Here On Out" and "Battle Born".

I feel quite confident that this album will go down in music history as one of their most successful.

https://www.angelfire.com/nv/Badfinger/BANDkillers.html

Sounds like the band was strictly going for anthems and anthemic ballads. Brandon Flowers' voice can be used as a centerpiece, given how strong and dynamic it is, but it's not the most interesting step for the band to take...especially after 2 great albums and 1 not bad album.

Fully embracing their newfound synthpop sound, Battle Born is The Killers' slickest and most overproduced album so far. While it continues to combine the post-punk sounds from the band's early albums, it delves deeper into the synthpop sound explored in Day & Age. This time, however, the energetic rhythm is toned down in favor of a bigger depth and subtler emotions. It's like the band suddenly found their vulnerable side and decided to make an album revolving around that.

The first few songs form a great string of starting tracks, and the rest of the album continues the largely even flow of melodic rock tracks. It's a very approachable album to listen to, thanks to the synth-heavy sound and the memorable hooks, particularly in the amazing singles. Battle Born is and will remain, The Killers' most radio-friendly and mainstream LP. It's difficult not to love the sound of the album, even if it's a far cry from the edgier sound they are usually remembered for.

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From Pastiche 08/02/2015 00:31 | #146912

6/10

I know I'm gonna get some hate for this but this is my favorite Killers album. I love the emotion in Flowers' voice. The lyrics are perfect. Its got and overall teenage love feel to it and it is a huge step up from Day & Age.

From bojolpif71 02/01/2015 10:33 | #133553

Pas mal , mais sans aucune surprise. Dur de se renouveler et de retrouver la créativité des premiers opus..

great album

There's a good sense of place, but I didn't find myself enjoying much. I liked Here With Me, Battle Born and the bonus track Pizefighter but honestly, none of those are mindblowing.

From Button001 01/27/2014 21:56 | #101706

Desperately poor. So dull. They have just stopped trying.