Hot Fuss - Killers (The)

Hot Fuss was the debut album by the Las Vegas based band, The Killers, released in 2004 it was instantly acclaimed as a very special album, reaching number one in America and the UK and remaining in the charts for a ridiculously long time. It appeals to fans of pop, indie, electronica, glam rock, trashy punk and old fashioned 80's synth music.

The band are made up of lead singer Brandon Flowers, Mark Stoermer on Bass, Dave Keuning ...
...incredibly tight and exciting live sets and are a joy to see in that setting.

Album Tracks

Jenny was a Friend of Mine

Starting with a reassured manner, this tune is incredibly catchy mixing pop and 80's synth music in a way that would later become synonomous with the Killers, this is a great song, Brandon Flowers lyrics and vocals are superb, full of urgency and passion, the chorus is superb, overall ... more

Hot Fuss was the debut album by the Las Vegas based band, The Killers, released in 2004 it was instantly acclaimed as a very special album, reaching number one in America and the UK and remaining in the charts for a ridiculously long time. It appeals to fans of pop, indie, electronica, glam rock, trashy punk and old fashioned 80's synth music.

Album Tracks

Starting with a reassured manner, this tune is incredibly catchy mixing pop and 80's synth music in a way that would later become synonomous with the Killers, this is a great song, Brandon Flowers lyrics and vocals are superb, full of urgency and passion, the chorus is superb, overall a storming start to the album.

One of the most popular songs of the last 10 years, this is a classic tune, great fast vocal that starts muffled and then becomes clear, the lyrics are the key to this tune, they are fantastic, is it about voyeurism, is it somebody else seducing his girlfriend? Jealousy is the key to the song, but there is also a whiff of redemption. The drums set a great pace with this tune, the synth organs control the song and the guitars are actually not particularly noticeable. This is a wicked song, incredibly catchy with a singalong chorus. Great song.

Nice tuneful start to this song, the chorus is the best bit, again very catchy, you can hear the influence of Gary Numan in the music and the Pet Shop Boys lyrically, this is a good show of the band as a whole, strong guitars and drumming, good organs on the chorus and good harmonies, matched with a catchy tune and some very strong lyrics again.

This is another classic tune which is even better live, with swirling electronica, it builds into quite a song, pacy vocals, lifting guitars, a thumping drum, lyrically its not the best song on the album, but it still has atmosphere and a story, what it has is a catchy tune and an incredibly good chorus, backing vocals are strong, and Brandon sounds superb on this fantastic tune.

A change of pace for the album, slowed down guitars and electronica, Brandon almost recites this in a controlled fashion through a vocoder, the steady studied vocal and music make this a very catchy and easy to remember song, the lyrics are excellent, it has a real feel of emotion about it. The song is pared down and much the better for it, it shows another side to the band and it works brilliantly.

This starts off sounding a bit like Faithless but then the guitars kick in and it sounds much more like a traditional rock band, Brandon sounds very confident on this song, smooth, and he flows perfectly with the song, it builds up to a storming chorus, this is a great song, nicely paced, it sounds a bit like Simple Minds at certain moments but a much more modern, relevant version.

This song is fantastic live, it's a real anthem and gets the crowd going, Brandon sounds amazing from the start, the pace is slow but builds to an intense climax, lyrics are superb about a beautiful girl in an indie rock and roll band, it really does build up and the more time you give it the more you are rewarded with the fun rocky chorus. Nice changes of pace and instrument in the tune, it's a very good song.

Slow start, with earie lurking electronica behind the heavy drums and bass, this has a really good start, allowing the band a bit of time to show off their playing before any vocal kicks in, this is not one of the stronger songs on the album, but as ever Brandon Flowers gives it an intense feeling he is a charismatic singer who draws you in, the song is well layered and has a good feel but is not as catchy as many of the others.

Starts at quite a pace, guitars and drums all blazing, this is a decent indie tune, much more traditional not real electronica to talk of, Brandon singing a story over a realy good tune, it sounds musically like the Strokes but with the unforgettable Flowers voice, it's a sleazy tune full of hope and despair.

Slow pace to this closing track on the album, strange dislocated vocals sung through a vocoder, this is a great song, the music is strange and different, the vocals are hauntingly beautiful, as are the lyrics, it sounds a bit like Blur mixed with Gary Newman and the Pet Shop Boys, it's a farewell and it's a stunning end to this short punchy album from a band with huge ambitions and the talent to match it.

For a debut album this is superb, with only one song I could really describe as average, it's a well produced album full of style and flourishes, the band play confidently with assurance, and the use of electronica gives them something many indie bands simply don't have. For me the key is and always will be Brandon Flowers, the guy is incredibly charismatic, on stage he controls the audience, you can't take your eyes off him, on this album he controls the tone, pace and everything about it, lyrically there are some great tunes and he really has an eye for a catchy tune and chorus, this is intelligent grown up pop music with edge, its stylish, moody and lots of fun and the album is something you should really listen to, it is one of the best albums of the last 10 years within its field and fully deserved the praise heaped upon it.

Used prices are from £1.81, new from £4.89 on Amazon, its really good value and a really great album.

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