WONDERFUL: The Killers release their first studio album following a five year hiatus, and critics are raving.
By Marley Brady, Editor
On September 22, 2017, Nevada-native band The Killers released their fifth studio album, titled Wonderful Wonderful. The album has since claimed the number one spot on charts around the world, including the U.S Billboard 200, which is the group’s first album to do so. Following its less-than-successful 2012 release “Battle Born,” the quartet has gone through many changes, including a new sound (previously indie rock, which is now infused with disco-rock) and a new inspiration, coming from Brandon Flowers’ personal life. In fact, lead guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer retired from touring with the band. Though the album took an emotional toll on the group— particularly on lead singer Brandon Flowers— it is clear that the time and effort put into its creation was careful and meticulous.
‘Wonderful Wonderful’ is perhaps The Killers’ most diverse album yet, covering the topics of Flowers’ cockiness as a young musician and political scandal; the album highlights Flowers’ wife Tana’s struggles with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation. In an interview with Metro UK, Flowers opens up about how his wife’s mental health has influenced the album as a whole. “[Writing this album] helped me understand what she was going through because I could put words to it, wrap my head around it and really navigate it. A lot of relationships fall apart when these things happen. As a songwriter, I had to dissect it.” This is evident in tracks such as the title track “Wonderful Wonderful” in which Flowers uses a drought as a metaphor for his wife’s life, the ballad “Rut” which asks for understanding, and the track “Some Kind of Love,” (which shares a name with a Velvet Underground song, but is completely different) where Flowers begs his wife to persevere through the hard times.
Overall, Wonderful Wonderful is perhaps the strongest, deepest, most heartfelt album The Killers have ever released. Since its 2004 hit “Mr. Brightside,” the band has undergone many changes in sound and personality; however, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ signifies a new era for The Killers—one both fun and serious through love and loss. Through all their trials and tribulations, The Killers have released a beautiful album that truly lives up to its name.