Published on 1 September 2020
This album comes a year after their headline performance at Glastonbury, a reflective marvel that was inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Brandon Flowers move from Las Vegas to Utah. This is the band’s first album without Dave Keuning since he quit after recording their album ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ in 2017.
Flowers really explores his storytelling capabilities with this album. Tracks ‘Caution’ and ‘Blowback’ tell the beautiful story of a girl that has been raised in a stereotypical ‘white trash’ family who seeks to escape her hometown. This draws from Flowers’ own childhood growing up in Las Vegas. Also, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham was brought in to add a guitar solo to ‘Caution’.
This album doesn’t shy away from experimenting with different genres either, exploring funk inspired and psychedelic pop sounding tracks – especially with tracks such as ‘Fire in Bone’ and ‘Dying Breed’. Flowers’ is also a powerful male advocate for women. With this album he has included women’s voices by featuring K.D Lang on ‘Lightning Fields’.
The album cover is simply beautiful – it is a painting called ‘Dance of the Wind and Storm’ by artist Thomas Blackshear. The cover depicts two figures embracing in billowing clouds, floating over a majestic landscape – which I think encapsulates the essence of the album perfectly. This album has a real spirit to it and this painting depicts that.
My personal favourite track has got to be ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’ because it exuberates that classic anthemic sound that is associated with The Killers. I have no doubt that it will sound outstanding live and not to mention that the music video that accompanies it is stunning. ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’ is reminiscent of the bands more classic music such as ‘Human’. It is definitely the right way to open an album.
Next year marks twenty years since the band formed and I believe they have no intention of slowing down or stopping.
Rockstars HQ 
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