Though familiarity may undulate throughout the middle of the record, this is an album with bite. Oozing with a soulful depth which sparks electricity into stand-out tracks, The Killers mean business, as it radiates confidence and experiments down synthesised avenues.
Immediately the record jump-starts into peculiar territory, but there is a depth to the rumbling bass and hefty crescendos of the title track, ‘Wonderful Wonderful’, which makes it a powerful opener. The second track, ‘The Man’, released in August, jangles with personality and captivates the album’s sense of rejuvenation.
Emotions fluctuate throughout the record, but it maintains a constant vintage quality which borders on 80s synth, recharging it with modern twists and turns. ‘Rut’ emanates this smooth anthem quality, from which point the album becomes rather saturated with monotony, and dips into repetition which is a shame for a band heading in such an intriguing direction. ‘Out Of My Mind’ redeems the album, saving the band with its electrical undertone and 80s sheen.
The standout track from the latter half of the record is undeniably ‘The Calling’, the penultimate song which resonates with retro rhythm and blues elements, combined with unexpected synth additions and a contagious bass. Opening with a spoken Biblical sequence, the song has the same confident snarl that dominates the beginning of the album, with Brandon Flowers’ attitude shining through. Final track ‘Have All The Songs Been Written?’ spotlights Flowers’ inherent sincerity and heart to his vocals, which are the focal point of the album’s close.
The Killers have certainly begun to move in an alternative direction and experiment with new genres which play a huge role in the undertone to the album. The record as a whole lacks a common thread to cohesively bind together the ‘wonderful’ individual elements, but the band have returned with a unique soulfulness which is rare to see in bands of their calibre.
