Hot Fuss by The Killers

Last week I picked up a copy of The Killers' debut album, Hot Fuss.To say I was not disappointed is an understatement. The Killers are a conglomeration of influences--British Invasion guitars blended with New Wave sysnthesizers, with a heavy dose of Glam Rock thrown in for good measure. They simultaneously call to mind The Kinks, T. Rex, The Cars, The Cult, and Depeche Mode. Yet, at the same time, they seem very fresh and original.

What sets The Killers apart is their ability to tell stories with their songs. And most of those stories are very dark. "Mr. Brightside" is a song which depicts that apparent point in a relationship when doubts and creep in and the jealousy that goes with that doubt (it's a song I assume most people could identify with at one point or another in their life). "Somebody Told Me" tells a tale of sexual confusion (it's a song I would hope most guys wouldn't be able to identify with...). "All These Things I've Done" seems to the ruminations of a man at the end of his ropes. By far the darkest songs on the album are "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," the requiem for a murdered friend, and "Midnight Show," which could almost be the plot for an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

What all of this amounts to are catchy songs with lyrics that are somewhat darker than one might find on the average Coldplay or Blink 182 album. For anyone who is a fan of power pop, the New Wave groups of the Eighties, the glam rock groups of the Seventies, or just plain good music, Hot Fuss is worth a listen.