The Killers - Pressure Machine
 

this album came out this week and i really enjoy it.

it's their second album in about a year, imploding the mirage came out in 2020.

I liked imploding the mirage pretty well, the first song was amazing, and there were several others that were very good. but you could feel the absence of the guitarist.

(wonderful wonderful was in 2017 and that one didn't really do it for me, though the song tyson vs. douglas is beautiful and really evocative of that specific moment in time)

anyway, back to pressure machine, i really think it is beautiful. it's a change of pace, it doesn't really have the bombastic, classic killers thing with synths and huge choruses, etc.

thematically it is about small town life. most of the songs are short stories. the normal version of the album has snippets of recordings of people talking about small town life before each song. first 5 times through the album or so, i felt they enhanced feeling of the album/theme, but this listen through i'm going with the abridged version (basically same thing except no conversational snippets).

i can see how people might not like this album as much as others, it definitely is more subdued than their typical sound, but i love the change of pace, and i think it's a really articulate, affecting picture of what it can be like in a small town. really love it.

who here's listened to it? what do you think?

I'm quite impressed. Haven't listened to a Killers album since Day & Age. This thing is awesome.

I listed while working today, but need to give it a more focused listen. I didn't even know they put out something new before you posted about it

Definitely need to listen again - was initially confused by amazon music labeling the album as "Abridged" - but turns out there are two versions on there. The abridged one omits the spoken word parts, which I caught on my second listen. Definitely go with the non-abridged version for the full experience.

They are going with the Zeitgeist model (14 years after the fact) in that they are selling 4 different cover artwork variants... all on CD. Yet the lone version of the vinyl is completely sold out...?

Def an interesting business angle there.

Thanks, I'll stream it on Spotify tomorrow and think of Ram and b0lly.

what is going on, whatcolor? first billy joel, now the killers?!?

they have great songs! do you not enjoy any of their songs caic?

i know right? i thought people only liked to talk about SHITTY music here!

i don't know. they're in the "will never ever listen to them again" category. :(

why is that? genuinely curious

i think it's because he hated it so bad he thought it would be preferable not to do it ever again.

i may be wrong.

Let's compare Coldplay and The Killers side by side.

They're my two favourite post-punk groups.

Parachutes was a great album with very obvious nods to classic post-punk groups like Tears for Fears and Talking Heads. One might even say too obvious.

But enough of that, let me tell you about White Lies.

what i'm asking is why. what you wrote there is obvious to the point that it's not really worth typing.

if someone is indifference to any given artist, there's nothing more to say really. "not my cup of tea." but if it's actual dislike, and dislike for something that's nearly universally highly regarded, i'm curious to understand more about that.

there's music i like that i'm not even remotely surprised other people don't like. i've got a soft spot for static-x, for example, there are just certain specific things i like about it that i could explain if anyone cared. but if someone says "they suck", i totally get it.

billy joel though? the killers?


in the specific case of this album, if billy corgan had written any of the following songs, it'd be a big step up from anything he's done in the last decade+: west hills, runaway horses, pressure machine, desperate things, etc.

but anyway.. just trying to have a little discussion here and better understand my fellow boarders

i'm guessing Icecream (please...) was put off so badly by previous albums they are not prepared to stopp joking.... & listen to the new ones

i feel like i've had a similar experience with certain artists from that era (cough, interpol) but even then, i'd be willing to check out a new album if the hype was truly that hot

the few songs i've heard annoyed me.

somehow they got on the black list. i don't remember how or when, but they're there. this is final.