I spent most of yesterday listening to Sam’s Town, the new release from The Killers. It’s received mixed reviews–the problem with being the Next Big Thing is that you’re generally screwed for the sophomore album. If you go in a new direction, people will complain that it doesn’t sound like your first album. If you keep releasing albums that sound like the first, you get labeled as unoriginal no-talent hacks (*cough* Nickelback *cough*).
A lot of reviewers have talked about Springsteen and U2 influences, but I mostly hear Queen, especially in Sam’s Town, Enterlude/Exitlude, My List and Why Do I Keep Counting.
I applaud their decision to try something a little different, and while Sam’s Town probably won’t stay in my music rotation for a long time, I’m enjoying it for now.
Favorite track: Bling (Confessions of a King). OK, maybe there is some Springsteen in this one.
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For anybody that missed the Jenny Lewis show earlier this month, NPR has posted an MP3 of her show from the NPR Live Concert Series. Except for a couple false starts on I Met Him On A Sunday, it’s very close to the show we saw. [via Chromewaves]
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