"Day & Age" by The Killers - A Music Review by DJ Octoon

DJ Octoon runs a radio show on UCLA Radio where he is constantly surrounded by hipster undergrads. That should explain something. -KV

Dear Hipsters,

I heard you berate Interpol when they started to sell some records. I was there when you thought Modest Mouse had sold-out because they wrote a catchy tune called "Float On." And now all I hear from you is, "You like The Killers?" with astonishment, or ironic astonishment (I can't tell which one).

But, to answer your question, yeah, I like The Killers.

"You know their lead singer is named Brandon Flowers?"

Yeah, I know. I also know that if you were around when The Beatles came on the scene you would have dismissed their music as "too poppy," or "for the masses."

No, I'm not comparing The Killers to The Beatles. I'm just saying; be careful of criticizing bands for being too popular. Or catchy.

Catchy is key. Why do hipsters hate The Killers? Because they're catchy. Something so catchy, so dancy, so light, can't be good. It's too sweet, like candy.

But fruit is sweet, too.

And so are marshmallows.

Where am I going with this? Back to The Killers, I suppose.

The newly relased Day & Age is The Killers's worst album. That said, you gotta hear it.

"I ain't in no hurry, you go run and tell your friends I'm losing touch / Fill their heads with rumors of impeding doom / It must be true."

That's from "Losing Touch," a nice start with lyrics that seem to attack people who are quick to criticize. The saxophone is a bit much, but that's pretty much my main complaint for the whole album. A little sax goes a long way.

"Human" - Berated by PitchFork for "not making sense," because the Flowers dares to play with grammar and ask, "Are we human or are we dancer?" in reference to Hunter S. Thompson's assertion that Americans are turning into a nation of dancers. I have to disrespectfully disagree with PitchFork and say, hey, that makes a lot of sense, actually.

By the way, if you're going to hate songs because they're lyrics don't make sense, I've got some Pixies tracks for you.

With the third track, "Spaceman," the band picks up the pace and returns to the "Somebody Told Me," days. But with higher vocals.

"Joy Ride" sounds like a lost track from a Wham! album with too much sax. Don't know Wham!? You gotta know Wham! The thing about Wham!...they knew when to take it easy on the sax.

A friend of mine says "A Dustland Fairtale" is his favorite Killers song of all time. I know, I didn't write "The Killers." He still likes it. And I can see why - it crescendos into something great, lets you taste it, then ends. It also sounds like a song from Sam's Town. Like Flowers said, "No, no, let's save that one for the next album."

But my friend is wrong - "I Can't Stay" is the best song from The Killers. At least on this album. (It's no Mr. Brightside) But it does have a Bossa nova (yeah, you read that right) beat, some well-placed-but-still-excessive saxophone work, strings, and some sweet bass work.

And with that, I ask all hipsters to put your fedoras to the side and give Day & Age a listen. If it helps, imagine it's a band from LA that you heard first, struggling to get a residency at The Echo.
See, I can talk the talk. Now give The Killers a chance, dammit.

Seriously.

-DJ Octoon

Check out his show: "I'm in Band.." - The BEST in Unsigned Music
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