Album Review - The Killers (Hot Fuss)

Earlier in the month I promised to give you my expert opinion on some of the hottest music around (Pete Murray - eat your heart out). Pete Murray?

The Killers produced "Hot Fuss" some time ago, but not everyone (particularly those of a certain age) has heard it. Well here goes (don't laugh, kids).

First track 'Jenny was a friend of mine' is probably the best on the album (L.P. for the oldies!).
A great drum beat, good bass line and rhythms. Loved the first 60 seconds of the track. Great.
'Mr Brightside' - lyrics not to my taste, but an excellent musical backing, and the drummer wins again. A Coldplay-style guitar backing with synthesizer intro dominates 'Smile like you mean it' with the synth also heavily-used in the chorus/title line.
A cleverly-written 'Somebody Told Me' is a jealousy-influenced song, including the line "you've got a boyfriend who looks like a girlfriend". Not sure if this is based on the personal experience of frontman Brandon Flowers.

'All these things that I've done", almost Lennon-like, piano-supported intro with a real gutsy reworking of 80's-style new wave. Blondie could have covered this. 'Andy you're a star' is a dour seventies quasi-punk style number, with synth and acoustic backing. 'On Top' is unashamedly new wave, with keyboard work that Sparks fans will remember. A very different track (that might grow on me) is the very interesting 'Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll, having a slow start, but with clever use of lyrics such as the tambourine. Intriguing overlay of tracks towards the end.

'Believe Me Natalie' has a great synthesizer introduction with good drum rolls. After that, it's not their best. There is an obvious Depeche Mode influence creeping in with 'Midnight Show', as with other tracks on the album. The final track, 'Everything will be alright' has strange vocal effects with a haunting musical backing. Repetitive, and a tad strange.

The talented Brandon Flowers composed all of the tracks on 'Hot Fuss', with collaboration on some numbers with Mark Stoermer, Dave Keuning and Ronnie Vannucci.