The Killers Return
"Wonderful Wonderful," a knockout CD
The Killers are back with a new record, five years after their last album, 2012’s Battle Born. The new disc, Wonderful Wonderful, out now on Island Records, is an thoughtful deconstruction of masculinity and a deep dive into what it truly means to be a man.
It’s only natural, then, that the first single from the new EP is called “The Man.” This whimsically ironic tune about overwrought macho sensibilities may be taken at face value by some, though the music video makes it clear that machismo and bravado can only take one so far. Lead singer Brandon Flowers sings, “Don’t try to teach me; I got nothing to learn,” with a deliberately over-produced backing track which sounds like The Killers on ecstacy.
Other tracks on the record contrast toxic masculinity with empathy and compassion, with a pair of overt references to boxing, perhaps the most masculine sport there is. The great Sonny Liston is name-dropped on the second single, “Run For Cover,” and an early standout from the album, “Tyson vs Douglas,” is ostensibly about the legendary 1990 duel between the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Tyson, and the contender, Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in the eleventh round. The lyrics are strongly applicable, about watching singular events which result in larger-than-life titans suddenly knocked down, and the effect it has on observers and even casual passers-by.
The current single, “Run For Cover,” is about adulterous politicians and the lack of trust in elected representatives. The song is accompanied by a music video, starring model Galadrielle D’Amico as a down-but-not-out victim who turns the tables on her assailant, culminating in a fiery ending.
Special guests on the album include Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler on guitar and a spoken word segment by Natural Born Killers actor Woody Harrelson. As always, drummer Ronnie Vannucci‘s signature pulsing bass drum and next-level hi-hat flourishes drive the powerful anthems forward while also filling vital space in the more airy ballads, such as Flowers‘s love-letter to his wife, “Some Kind of Love.” All in all, Wonderful Wonderful is an excellent next step for The Killers, who have always pushed forward with their distinctly American sound, blazing a trail of neon and dust on the frontier of rock ‘n’ roll.
