The Killers - When You Were Young: Track Review

From the forthcoming Sam's Town.

That summer when I was working in the barbecue industry, 105.7 the Point would play the Killers' "Somebody Told Me" what seemed like once every 15 minutes or so. And since that was what we listened to, except when the waitresses wanted to hear country (that skydiving song was huge), I must have heard it a good 1,000 times that summer.

Admittedly, I kinda liked it the first 800 times it came on. I wouldn't put it on the level of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out," which was my jam that summer, but it's an enjoyable song, provided you can avoid focusing on how retarded it is in theory. At some point, I also picked up the album and ended up mostly enjoying it. There wasn't anything else on it on the level of "Somebody Told Me," but there were some catchy tunes there.

Interestingly enough, the shit hole I'm working in right now will play Bruce Springsteen's "10th Avenue Freeze Out" at least once a day, depending on whether Muzak is set to the '70s or the '80s station, which is odd because I hardly ever heard that song on the radio before, awesome though it certainly is. Supposedly, the upcoming Killers album, Sam's Town, due out in October, will be their take on the classic Bruce Springsteen sound.

Which would seem like an awful idea until you peep this new single, "When You Were Young." This song fucking rocks! They haven't so much aped Springsteen's classic sound, which really would be teh ghey, but they do borrow a bit from the Boss' favorite thematic tropes. Essentially, "When You Were Young" could be described as "Born to Run" meets "Mr. Brightside." But in a good way. If the rest of the album turns out nearly as well, the Killers will have pulled off a major coup.

Stream "When You Were Young" at the Killers' MySpace profile.

Comments

[Mr Brightside]

1st!!!!!!!!!!

[BlackimusPrime™]

I didn't want to like this but damn... they're not dead yet.

[Monticello]

The Killers are one of those bands people listen to secretly.

[Daesonesb]

I didnt like mr brightside whatsoever, but shit... this is pretty nice.

Its like I've always told my boys... rock and roll needs a fucking savior. The only thing close to rock bangin on MTV right now is screamo type shit. Mass audiences aren't relating to that, 10th grade goth chicks are.

We need someone like Bruce Springstein, the Beatlesm, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, or Elvis Presley to take rock back to where it needs to be.

[amedawg00]

Uber good. Pitchfork must stop hating on everything remotely enjoyable. Oh Bol, I noticed you were highly dissapointed in the gin blossoms new album.

[Craig]

Gay folk like gay music.

[Kirk]

Ashamed to admit I saw them in concert (damn woman). They were good...as good as the album. Also gave me the opportunity to watch/hear two drunken frat boys liberally throw the word "scrilla" around in the beer line until someone threaened to kick their ass.