The Killers
"Imploding the Mirage"
(Island (ASTERISK)(ASTERISK)(ASTERISK))
The Killers have perfected the moment when a song explodes into an anthem, and "Imploding the Mirage, their sixth album, is a master class in those visceral hooks. It's relentless and a bit campy _ throwback rock that draws on mid-'80s Springsteen and MTV synth pop in a way that risks pastiche but usually ends up thrilling.
At this point, the Killers are singer/keyboardist Brandon Flowers and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, plus helpmates, especially producers Jonathan Rado (of Foxygen) and Shawn Everett, who has worked with Philly's War on Drugs. (The band's Adam Granduciel guests on "Blowback," although "My Own Soul's Warning" sounds even more like a War on Drugs song.)
Lindsey Buckingham contributes a wild guitar solo to end "Caution," k.d. lang duets on "Lightning Fields," and Weyes Blood's Natalie Mering sings on several tracks.
But the focus is on Flowers, his dramatic vocals, and those strategically dropped dynamic shifts. "Imploding the Mirage" is full of driving, widescreen songs about breaking out of town or pledging fidelity, opposite themes suitable for arena-size sing-alongs (which already seem like another throwback).
Not all songs reach the rafters, but more often than not "Imploding the Mirage" offers escapist, grandiose pleasures. _ Steve Klinge
