• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Battle Born (new The Killers album) |OT| We're all just runaways

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mau ®

Member
I don't see enough "Here with me" love up in hurr tbh.

I know its a bit sappy but its the best choice for a single (besides Runaways) to get to the heart of the HOT AC and AC formats.
 
metareferential

metareferential

Member
inthezone said:
I don't see enough "Here with me" love up in hurr tbh.

I know its a bit sappy but its the best choice for a single (besides Runaways) to get to the heart of the HOT AC and AC formats.
Click to expand...

The way it was and Here with me feel like a single song to me, which proves (and of course it's not the only thing that makes me think this) how much more cohesive this new album is as opposed to earlier works.
 
M

Mau ®

Member
metareferential said:
The way it was and Here with me feel like a single song to me, which proves (and of course it's not the only thing that makes me think this) how much more cohesive this new album is as opposed to earlier works.
Click to expand...

I have to listen to this album more but it does feel like their most cohesive work. And may I add that the cover art absolutely fits the sound imo.
 
C

coldvein

Banned
Solo said:
You reading way too much into my post. Battle Born is the Killers through and through, just like the previous albums. Its just that they are expanding their horizons and wearing their influences prominently on their sleeve.

I call Runaways Springsteen-esque, but Bruce Springsteen couldn't possible write that song. Only Brandon Flowers could. Killers to the core. Its been 4 years between albums. These guys are aging, maturing, and their style is evolving.

And for the record, I'll take Runaways over Read My Mind. Although both are amazing tracks.
Click to expand...

i can dig it. i am absolutely, and probably always will be, a fan of what this band does. im just not currently into the new album. to me, its got two songs that belong in the top ten all time killers pantheon. (1 and 2). thats saying something! but!

i want a little bit more riffage. i want a little bit more rock. this is the least rock of all their albums, and that's why i like it the least. brandons cheesey/sincere lounge singer thing goes really far, but if its not backed up by some ruling guitars and drums, it falls flat on its face.

runaways is great.. but most rocking killers song? hell no. sams town, more rocking. when you were young, more rocking. for reasons unknown, more rocking. read my mind? WAY MORE ROCKING. my list, more rocking. this river is wild, more rocking. jenny was a friend of mine? more rocking. mr. brightside. more rocking. somebody told me, more rocking. change your mind, more rocking. midnight show? WAY MORE ROCKING. WAAAYYYY MORE. spaceman? dustland fairytale? dont even belong in the same sentence as runaways.

you may have noticed that im listing the majority of killers songs as more rocking than runaways. because they really all are. and runaways is as rock as battleborn gets.
 
S

Solo

Member
Who really cares how "rocking" it is? Runaways is one of the best songs they've ever written and recorded, "rocking" or not.

Anyways, the older albums will never not exist, so you can always go back to them.
 
S

Solo

Member
Man, everyone likes something different. To me that's a sign of a consistent album. I bet if you asked for a Top 5 from Hot Fuss or Sam's Town, most people would have similar answers. Which is to say, while BB doesn't hit the highs of those two albums, its much more consistent.
 
P

Psychoward

Banned
Flesh and Bone
A Matter of Time
Deadlines and Commitments
Miss Atomic Bomb
Battle Born

Runaways and The Way it Was are the honorary nominees.
 
S

Solo

Member
Just finished my 4th listen of the album. At this point, I think I've decided that Hot Fuss = Sam's Town > Battle Born > Day And Age.

Also, it just occurred to me in response to some of the criticism the album has received for not being rock-y enough or too ballad-y that this happens EVERY Killers album.

In 2006, when Sam's Town hit - WTF, where did all the synth and new wave sounds go?
In 2008, when Day And Age hit- WTF, why is this so dancey?
In 2012, when Battle Born hit - WTF, why so many ballads?

And in 20XX, when Album 5 hits - WTF, _____________?

For better or for worse, these guys change up their style on every single album. Personally, I love it - I don't need The Killers to be like AC/DC and have 25 albums that all sound the same.
 
T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
I really think the next album is going to be a lot more positive. Day & Age and now especially Battle Born have been somewhat "down" in their own ways. I think now that The Killers have survived, battle-born, they'll start looking at the future/present instead of dwelling on the past (which is what BB boils down to.)
 
S

Solo

Member
I dunno about that. Brandon's songs are 50% about not being able to let go of the past. And the other 50% is nostalgia for the past :lol
 
S

Solo

Member
Andrex said:
Like you said, it's time to change things up... again! :p
Click to expand...

Haha, the musical style is ever evolving, but the lyrical content really doesn't much. 8 years ago they were singing about past broken relationships and now......they're singing about past broken relationships!


Fry8 said:
inrbebI4vn6cy.gif


He looks like he's about to explode :lol

Runaways on Letterman
Click to expand...

I just watched this performance. The best part is right after this gif, where you see Brandon needs to duck away from the mic and take a HUGE breath of air.
 
metareferential

metareferential

Member
Solo said:
Man, everyone likes something different. To me that's a sign of a consistent album. I bet if you asked for a Top 5 from Hot Fuss or Sam's Town, most people would have similar answers. Which is to say, while BB doesn't hit the highs of those two albums, its much more consistent.
Click to expand...

That's what I've come to realize: it's definetely their most cohesive and consistent work.

I'd swap one of the latest song in the album with Prize Fighter, though.
 
S

Solo

Member
metareferential said:
That's what I've come to realize: it's definetely their most cohesive and consistent work.

I'd swap one of the latest song in the album with Prize Fighter, though.
Click to expand...

I would definitely remove Heart of a Girl and replace it with Carry Me Home, and also replace Be Still with Prizefighter. If they'd done that, I would like all 12 songs on the album.

Awesome Barlow said:
No, no, no; that is backwards.
Click to expand...

This is madness!
 
metareferential

metareferential

Member
Solo said:
I would definitely remove Heart of a Girl and replace it with Carry Me Home, and also replace Be Still with Prizefighter. If they'd done that, I would like all 12 songs on the album.
Click to expand...

I'm going to do that myself xD

About Be Still:

we're on the belly of the beast
be still wild and young

That rhyme "beast-be still" always gets me.
 
K

killertofu

Member
I'd switch out Be Still and From Here On Out with Prize Fighter and Carry Me Home.
Just then it might be a sliver away from being The Killer's most consistent album. I still think Sam's Town holds that crown.
 
V

vaelic

Banned
Solo said:
Haha, the musical style is ever evolving, but the lyrical content really doesn't much. 8 years ago they were singing about past broken relationships and now......they're singing about past broken relationships!




I just watched this performance. The best part is right after this gif, where you see Brandon needs to duck away from the mic and take a HUGE breath of air.
Click to expand...

the drummer looks like kris novaselic from Nirvana
 
H

Howard Ballou

Member
If I'm picking five highlights from the album, in no particular order:

Runaways
Miss Atomic Bomb
Battle Born
Flesh and Bone
The Way it Was

I have an urge to take a sudden road trip just so I can spin this album a few times.
 
K

killertofu

Member
I listened to Day and Age on the way back to my place. I was pleasantly surpised at how much I dug it. It is the most dance-y/pop-y album they have and I still think it's like the Killers are playing tunes for Disney movies but it was still enjoyable. I feel like The Killers are gonna be kind of like the Beatles for me. Any day of the week, I could be switching the definition of my favorite Beatles album. I guess its just what I feel like with every Killers album.
 
E

ErasureAcer

Banned
My rankings as of today.

1. Flesh And Bone. Has the greatest individual lyrics of the album in "This natural selection picked me out to be/A dark horse running in a fantasy." Also love the "I'm running out of time/Flesh and bone." And the drums...the drums!!!
2. Miss Atomic Bomb. Best overall lyrics of the album.
3. The Way It Was. The keys in this song are addicting.
4. Carry Me Home. The music to this song is pretty good but seems a disappointment compared to its intro which is stunning.
5. Runaways. What hasn't been said?
6. Heart Of A Girl. Love the bass. The whole song sounds exactly like good U2.
7. Flesh And Bone (Jacques Le Cont Remix). Dance ya ass off!
8. Battle Born. Love the intro and outro and everything in between.
9. A Matter Of Time. This song muddles around for too long but is excellent towards the end.
10. From Here On Out. This sounds like something off John Bongiovi's "Power Station Years"...although I'm not recollecting which song...maybe a mash-up of a few of those songs. That lead guitar riff is pretty good.
11. Prize Fighter. I get some Tom Petty vibes from Runaways but this song more so.
12. Here With Me. The verses to this song are great. The chorus gets old pretty quick though.
13. Be Still. I like the mood of this track. Think the lyrics could be a lot better though.
14. Deadlines And Commitments. Solid track but nothing that makes me go "woahhhh!"
15. The Rising Tide. I have a hard time getting through this track. I really can't stand it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

What Are Your Top 10 Albums Of The Previous Decade?
21
2K
AV replied
Marvel's No Good, Very Bad New York Comic Con
2 3
103
17K
Crimson_Echidna replied
  • Locked
Animated music duo Prozzäk to Release New Album Keep It 'Forever 1999'
11
2K
Fancolors replied
The National - Sleep Well Beast |OT| The genius we've been waiting years for
2 3
147
19K
Icolin replied
the 150 greatest albums made by women - NPR
3 4 5 6 7
339
34K
BlueBadger replied
Top Bottom