Alright - four listens in and I am convinced this is their most consistent album. There are no songs that will permeate popular culture here; no Mr Brightside, When You Were Young etc. but I think that's a good thing, because this album has a quality that runs right through it that would be jarred by one or two radio songs (see Arctic Monkeys Tranquility Base).
This is very different. The strings are phenomenal, and there are some songs that radiate quiet and loud and build around instruments they don't often feature. There's also some synth inflections that call back to Hot Fuss in ways we haven't heard from them since.
The concept itself is clear, strong and well executed. The speech intros to songs add context and reality to the story snippets in each song. The songs without them don't need them. It humanises it, and the drama in the music really paints a strong picture as well.
This is what U2 should be doing - this is an established band letting go of the idea of popularity and following through with a strong concept. They've never sounded fresher, more relevant or more innovative as a result.
To the songs themselves, and there is nothing here that is bad or out of place.
West Hills - what a strong opener. It winds around a deep string part. It's dark, dramatic and powerful. It builds as well. Thematic links to the music are quite clever. It is probably one of the best songs on the album, but don't let that fool you into thinking it is top heavy.
Quiet Town - This is probably the closest thing to something you've heard before from the Killers... until after the first chorus and the harmonic kicks in. There's some Battle Born style Americana in here, but it isn't cheap or cheesy as it seems on Battle Born. Songs like this rely on the underlying theme of the album, but they are better for it.
Terrible Thing - This floored me. So quiet, and they resist the urge to build. It is so much more impactful for it. This is all about narrative and lyrics. It's devastating. I can't help but think of Bono and Edge's comments about needing things to translate to acoustic to know the strength of the songs. This is what they mean. I have had "I'm in my bedroom on the verge of a terrible thing..." in my mind all morning.
Cody - Ballad of a kid with personality and rebellion in a town of religious nuts. Rolling and pulsing around some slick steel string guitar. Some country DNA, but for someone like me who can't get through a country song without vomiting, it isn't a detraction. The outro dirty guitar is another masterful example of the thematic qualities of the music coming through in the instrumentation. And it works.
Sleepwalker - Probably the weakest song on the album, but that isn't a criticism. it's mid tempo and probably requires more time to grow into it. It is a great showcase of what we love about Brandon's vocal style.
Runaway Horses - I've mentioned above that Phoebe was a wonderful choice here. It's a quiet Phoebe-style song where she contributes an understated, beautiful support role. Another song with country DNA. Another song with great use of strings and piano. Production here is a big player in a song that keeps its integrity and beauty in its simplicity.
In the Car outside - The closest thing to a single. Until the inordinately long musical outro section. There aren't many lyrical contributions for the second half of the song. It's a brave choice, and it's what stops this song become this album's "4 out of 5". Probably my second favourite so far behind West Hills.
In Another Life - Mid-tempo and epic. This one will take some growing, because it probably blends too much into Quiet Town and Cody on the first few superficial listens. It occupies a spot alongside Sleepwalker for the one I've listened to least outside of full album run throughs.
Desperate Things - Moody, slow and reverb-y. Another great example of the use of restraint - let the lyrics come forward, and create moods. They haven't really done this before, and they are very good at it, very quickly.
Pressure Machine - What a late-album gem this one is. Beautiful vocal. Haunting string outro. This is not what I expected fmor the imagery and title of the album - I thought this one would be quite industrial, but it's delicate and pretty.
The Getting By - A finishing hymn. It's more of an album coda than a distinct tune. A really wonderful way to finish such a strong and powerful record. The train sounds in the outro are really cool as well after the interview clips about people getting hit by trains every few years and the song "Quiet Town".
I need to let it sink in more, but if I was reviewing this for a magazine, on this impression I'd be scoring this bloody high. It's a solid 9.2 for me.
. I will say some of the spoken parts don’t fit quite perfectly between the songs, and there’s maybe a few clunky lyrics, but overall I’m loving it.
