The Killers - Pressure Machine ALBUM REVIEW

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Having flirted with heartland rock on their previous album, The Killers delve much deeper into the sound on the conceptual Pressure Machine.
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FAV TRACKS: WEST HILLS, QUIET TOWN, TERRIBLE THING, CODY, RUNAWAY HORSES, IN THE CAR OUTSIDE
LEAST FAV TRACK: PRESSURE MACHINE
THE KILLERS - PRESSURE MACHINE / 2021 / ISLAND / HEARTLAND ROCK
7/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?

[@TheSpongebobgo]

You would've given them a 10 if they actually killed someone.

[@P-diddykong]

All melon asks for is a little authenticity

[@VinnieGer]

They’re throwing Caution

[@wildlifeguru8085]

Who’s gonna tell him about Jenny

[@youknowhuwitis]

He knocked 3 points for them being 'disingenuous'

[@zackzallie8735]

Well, Jenny was a friend of them.

[@strikerthegecko2970]

"I feel so clean like a pressure machine" -Weezer

[@hahayes2345]

Lmaooooooooo

[@elyy0345]

😂

[@squatchjosh1131]

100 Cuomos

[@my-spinning-wheel]

This made me laugh aloud and almost choke on bread

[@cheekybananaboy3361]

god why do i genuinely want a weezer cover of money machine, i feel like rivers voice is perfect for it

[@sethd9715]

Really didn’t think we were gonna get a review for this one. Glad to finally see this

[@burningcloudbeats4186]

I feel like a lot of your criticism is about how the album doesnt discuss deeper issues in rural America, when it really isnt trying to. The main point of the record is to paint a picture of small town life, not to try and solve the problems that come alongside it

[@garvanch9684]

I feel the same way, the review seems like an 8, maybe he is thinking too hard about it which hinders the experience.

[@RoryHool]

He's just parroting the pitchfork review imo

[@roberttonge8576]

@@RoryHool I thought the same thing.

[@joshuabrunetta4656]

If you ignore the fact that The Killers are basically a Bruce Springsteen E Street cover band then yes it’s an 8.

[@loganellis9867]

@@joshuabrunetta4656 Yeah, this has been known for awhile. I actually don't think it's a bad thing though. I mean, when more indie artists sound like other indie artists or even mainstream artists, we don't usually say anything even if it's obvious, i.e. Maggie Rogers

[@scarfacefan5]

Bro I’m so happy you liked this album. I fucking adore this album.

[@seandog]

Dude same

[@scarfacefan5]

@@seandog it’s a beautiful album man. Their best album in years.

[@pablovasquez2201]

I can’t even relate to what he’s talking about and i had a deeply emotional experience. Can’t even imagine how someone in the situations he’s talking about feels listening to it. Feels like their most cohesive thematic expression yet fs, songs like Terrible Thing, West Hills and the title track are super unique and important in their discog. Honest to god might be a 10

[@scarfacefan5]

@@pablovasquez2201 I agree fully man. I can’t relate to it but my god you can tell it comes from someone who can relate and it comes out as a perfect album with an amazing aura.

[@sarahgrosser5261]

I fucking adore it too. I just moved to a small town.

[@pablovasquez2201]

I think they made the abridged version so people could plug the songs into their playlists without the flow being messed up by long interview segments. I think when listening front to back the recordings are definitely an essential element. Makes the record very much more thematically cohesive and often more chilling. Especially the segment on Quiet Town and Runaway Horses. Great review Die

[@seandog]

Yeah when I listen to the entire album I listen to the regular version, but when I wanna pull up a single track I’ll do the abridged version

[@luukgrooten2402]

@@seandog The runaway horses segment is sad asf

[@BallotBoxer]

Instead of "accept your station, peasant" I interpreted the title track as marveling at the genuine happiness found in these doomed, limited lives. Like they are finding a way, despite the crushing "pressure machine" of economic/religious/etc. factors. The lines alternate between denial and acceptance, giving the song a wistful/defiant energy.

[@annagracegeddes775]

I agree. Reminds me of this quote I saw from a 90-year-old woman reflecting on life, “life isn’t fair, but it can be good.”

[@lucs028]

Dystopian capitalist nightmares repackaged as wholesome events

[@Aideen98]

Very apt description!

[@aceroy9195]

@@lucs028 you must be fun at parties

[@mattalex2113]

@@lucs028 you read "doomed, limited lives" and thought, "oh, wholesome events!"

[@reddisdead]

hot fuss is a classic. you could even call it killer

[@smelliott2347]

no

[@themandownstairs4765]

he didn't give this as high a score as I wanted, but at least he saw the bright side

[@wadestokan5855]

Hot Fuss is a really terrific album. An iconic debut imo (although it does fall apart a bit by the halfway point)

[@Bandstand]

oh brother

[@wadestokan5855]

@Elias López Arredondo in my opinion it falls off a bit starting with On Top. LOVE the first half and some of the tracks on the second half but I think it becomes a little inconsistent. 🤷‍♂️ I do love the record though.

[@christopherkrol6515]

The abridged version is probably so you can take a song you like put it on a playlist without it being disjointed

[@kiandocherty3589]

Smart.

[@ppozdal]

100%, can't want a really good song with an intro mentioning opioids to throw the playlist out of whack. But still really love the album.

[@Perminator]

They should have solved that by giving each interview its own track. But I guess they didn't want people to be able to skip them, which makes it even weirder that the abridged version exists.

[@sernoddicusthegallant6986]

*Vietnam flashback to having 21st century schizoid man on my playlist meaning I get 30 seconds of silence randomly between songs.*

[@manunited111able]

@@sernoddicusthegallant6986 HAHA that shit always jumpscares me too

[@thepancakesman]

Too late melon, I already moderately like this album

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

West Hills and Quiet Town are already top 10 Killers songs for me, and this is easily their best album since Day & Age imo. Full disclosure: I'm from a small town in Utah, so I'm incredibly biased.

[@mr.brightside1823]

Giving it a 0/10 and calling yourself "Mr. Darkside" isn't a review melon

[@VinnieGer]

It was also weird having Cal cackle as he electrocuted the album with his sith powers.

[@Demosthenses]

i spilled my coffee over this comment. well done!

[@Hazelpupps]

dsp moment

[@Sanman95]

I really enjoyed PM but I prefer Imploding The Mirage. PM comes off to me as a concept album with all the interludes of people being interviewed throughout and that makes listening to individual songs from the album a little weird

[@baileyyyyyyyyyyyy]

LMFAOOOO

[@Wolf-xw2lq]

This is a top-3 Killers record for me. West Hills is a masterpiece

[@hgpt3084]

Absolutely, I love this album

[@davidadams2395]

It's one of my favorites too. Pitchfork, however, named _West Hills_ bloated. They seemed to have liked last year's album better. I haven't heard Imploding the Mirage, but it garnered great reviews. What are your other two top The Killers albums?

[@Wolf-xw2lq]

@@davidadams2395 Hot Fuss is easily their best work imo, but 2nd place is a tie between Sam's Town and Wonderful Wonderful for me

[@mickfavel1389]

I'm a big fan of their Battle Born album. To me it's their most solid album, front to back.

[@mrsuns10]

Freeeeeeee

[@Chris75717]

Wow was not expecting this much praise at all

[@KevinBessey]

Have you listened to the album?

[@belphegor649]

@@KevinBessey I haven't. I dismissed it because of last year album being pretty meh, so I didn't expect this one to be interesting, but now I'm intrigued.

[@skttrbrain2513]

@@belphegor649 no lie I didn’t feel for Imploding The Mirage at first but it’s grown on me big time

[@belphegor649]

@@skttrbrain2513 I loved the singles but the deep cuts left me feeling cold

[@Chris75717]

@@KevinBessey yes

[@trevjaywill387]

Living around 20 min from Nephi, Utah, it was very weird to hear a mainstream album talk about places that I grew up in. I love Flowers' lyrics and story-telling. Made me feel a little homesick and weird inside.

[@omarmickelson1204]

It's definitely an album that hits close to home for me, as I've been through the Spanish Fork-Santaquin area multiple times, and I have a lot of friends and family that live (or have lived) near there. I also never thought I'd hear a popular rock band make direct references to laying on hands and missionary name badges.

[@trevjaywill387]

@@omarmickelson1204 for real man!!

[@soulcantspeech]

the first 19 seconds are great so far

[@ralegoat]

I liked review until the point where he confessed that he is killer himself like wtf Anthony

[@mada4929]

jokes aside, pressure machine is easily one of the best albums of the year and of the band's discography. it really is (no pun intended) killer

[@SuperNuclearUnicorn]

Let's be honest here, you absolutely intended that pun

[@jakee3368]

@@SuperNuclearUnicorn good pun, nonetheless.

[@TheTomD]

Spot on!

[@jeffarata]

I interpreted ‘The Getting By’ not so much as someone accepting and being content with putting in hard work to make ends meet, but more as someone who’s been doing exactly that for 23 years questioning if that’s all there really is to life, and in doing so, hinting that they think there could be more out there. But because that someone is only surrounded by others in their small town also just getting by, they keep it up because it’s all they know, it’s a safe thing to do. Idk, I think it beautifully shows another way the album talks about the gap between folks in a small town who might see/hear about a grander/more varied life but because they only know small town living and making ends meet, they almost wouldn’t know how to start to change things to break out of that small town lifestyle even if they were to want to do so, so they just keep on getting by because of this environmental pressure that comes from seeing everyone else they know doing just that. Anyways, glad you liked the album as a whole, for sure my favorite record of theirs in a longtime :)

[@baygeldin]

​@limelight81 I think the whole point is that there's no really a resolution. There are both positive and negative sides to living in such a place, but in the end it falls somewhere in the gray area, just like life itself. And this ambiguity is what makes this album great for me. For some reason, it induces a deep sense of nostalgia in me, although I've never even been to America, much less an American small town.

[@jeffarata]

Yeah I like that! Sure the song/album end, but for the person in ‘The Getting By’, they end by resolving their cognitive dissonance between seeing themselves as a person putting in the hard work/getting by, and seeing themselves as someone who also wants to move on and try something else. Of course in their mind they can’t do both, so they ‘resolve’ to just doing what they are doing, not really a warm and fuzzy resolution in the end

[@Metallizombie]

I feel the same way about that track. I think there’s much more to it than optimism

[@anyway96]

This is the best Killer’s album since Sam’s Town. It’s brilliant with how rich both the music and lyrics are. It’s a theme that can still reel me in despite never living in a small or religious town. I honestly thought you would give it a 5 or 6 so I would say 7 is not too bad. For me it’s closer to a 8.5-9.

[@pablovasquez2201]

Completely agree. Definitely their most thematically consistent album to date and I see parallels with sams town. A track like when you were young’s themes could fit right on here. Incredible how they are still putting out this level of quality this deep into their run

[@seandog]

I agree I thought he’d give a six but I’d also give an 8.5-9

[@anyway96]

@@pablovasquez2201 Oh for sure! I think a lot of songs from Sam’s Town could easily fit on here lyrically. Same with the title track and possible Bling and Why Do I Keep Counting. If Pressure Machine had more upbeat songs like the ones on Sam’s Town (Or In the Car Outside) then certain fans would like it more. But I love the Americana approach they took with hit. It really fit well with the lyrics.

[@Crashking416]

It was super cool hearing OJ Simpson on guest vocals.

[@jens2049]

Lol

[@StripesZB]

Finally an actual killer in the Killers

[@Fahad-pr7qu]

Jenny was a friend of mine was about him

[@boyfriend-online]

my fav thing about this record is how impartial it is. no sides taken, just showing what's there.

[@jdweigle3535]

Exactly. Everybody wants to trying and “fix” everything or make everything political these days, this review notwithstanding. I love that the record is just a love letter look through the keyhole at this town.

[@OceanViewMusic2000]

I must say, the abridged version of the album is a good choice because people who may be playing this album at work or at a party probably don't want interviews interrupting the music.

[@pablovasquez2201]

Glorifying self admitted Killers, real classy Anthony. Think about how the victims feel

[@LaLa-oj5ct]

Most of the victims loved this album

[@jeremyc9593]

@@LaLa-oj5ct That's obviously not true. Each murder becomes the muse or inspiration of said album, and they only kill one person per album, thus the past victims hearing this album is impossible. Don't be ridiculous.

[@itsallenwow]

For all the gate people sprinkle atop this melon. I think it’s cool that even a band as mainstream as The Killers, Anthony can approach with an open mind. Especially considering he hasn’t loved their stuff in a while. Big props for this review

[@AlexLong1000]

They probably made a version with the interviews because, while stuff like that is great on your first listen through an album, after that point, most people just wanna listen to the songs.

[@podoyle]

Just listened through the whole album. All in all it's fantastic. The lyrics are brilliant. Love the all the Christian allusions. The build up on "Cody" is goosebump inducing. Flowers' falsetto on the title track "Pressure Machine" is breathtaking. "Getting By" is a poignant conclusion to a solid album.

[@Duollop]

Maybe I misunderstood your take on the last songs, but I didn't take the intent of the songs to advocate on just getting by. I thought the characters took these mindsets because they don't see any other way to make it through, so for their own peace of mind, they keep their mouths shut so they can still get their eggs "cooked in bacon grease". But they're still clearly not happy. And the album ends with the train, which is the "way out" for some folks. So you can settle if that's what you need to survive, but people deserve more than that. The field recording for "Pressure Machine" really highlights that for me where the person talks about how if she stayed they could stay with their partner and get a house "but" that doesn't sound like enough for them. That continues with the falsetto/wife's POV in the song as she sounds just so damn miserable. Thanks for reviewing the album. The Killers have been my favorite band for a long time, and I always appreciate hearing your takes.

[@jens2049]

Yes

[@beaverjacob_214]

There is an abridged version likely so that different songs could be placed in hit streaming playlists and be more palatable to general audiences. It was likely a compromise made by the band with their label.

[@legofarm13]

I feel like there are enough criticisms of small town life in modern culture to have that as a constant assumption when listening to this record. For me, as someone far on the left who lives in a major metropolitan city but grew up in a small agricultural town, it was a thought provoking reminder that real, complex people live in these communities that make up the vast majority of America’s inner regions. It was a refreshing ideological break from the constant down-talking and dismissiveness that gets thrown towards these areas from much of the left.

[@jdweigle3535]

Amen

[@bearbosco6739]

I thought pressure machine the song was one of the best on the album! I guess that vocal melody on the chorus was enough to totally distract me from the downer of a message lol

[@IStillLikeBeer]

his falsetto in the chorus is gorgeous. to add another layer to it, the chorus is meant to be from the perspective of the narrator's wife. Brandon initially wanted to bring in a female artist to do it, before Ronnie (drummer) gave him the confidence to push his voice to that degree

[@Alex-dd9of]

WAKE UP MR WEST

[@loadedpainted7040]

JOE BIDEN. WAKE UP!

[@Middle8]

Cool review 👍 keep it up

[@Bandstand]

The man himself

[@seandog]

Middle 8 I love your videos almost as much as this album

[@iivvrryy]

@@Bandstand What is this, a crossover episode?

[@bruh-hj7kc]

Bruv

[@king_vision4085]

Speaking this into the universe, Anthony will give me a light to solid 7. And Middle 8 will break down how ground breaking my first EP will be

[@10Phy]

Honestly my favorite work from The Killers since sams town. I have found most of their albums are a collection of hit and miss pop hits on every album. This to me was the band putting their bombastic sound in the background while still not going full acoustic and the lyrics here show flowers putting some real heart and soul into his work. I know this band has always tried to tap into Springsteen but this album was the closest they have gotten without being too on the nose. Really great album for me and honestly a 8/10.

[@burningcloudbeats4186]

I think this album created a beautiful atmosphere, with some incredible songwriting an AOTY candidate for me

[@tinhippi]

Runaway Horses is an incredible song!

[@Pozenboot]

I just got to that song in my first listen through and goddamn. Had to pause to cry. It's like they wrote this about my town.

[@benjaminwhitman7905]

The amount of 7s melon has gave before DONDA has dropped

[@zackzallie8735]

And two 10s

[@lewispeterson2050]

Hey Anthony, I'm glad you liked this album. I liked it too. I grew up in a small town much like Nephi. I've even driven through Nephi many times. This record really resonated with me for that reason. My relationship with my small town is a love/hate one. It can be hard to completely resent it.

[@ralegoat]

Singing Mr Brightside for 10 minutes ain't really a review but I liked it

[@spitingMYverse]

I loved this album. Brandon Flowers is such an underrated artist.

[@bradleyaitchison]

West hills is up there with my favourite killers tracks

[@raf.raf.]

Great review, Anthony. Really liked how you highlighted the change of direction the album took around the middle.

[@falconmain8616]

I was really scared you were just gonna gloss over this one and chalk it up as some boring album about a small town but you actually took the time to really listen to it and understand it and I appreciate that

[@baseballodyssey6486]

This was pretty thoughtful and well done, but there's such a glaringly obvious reason the album doesn't end with a screaming or persuasive call to overcome the mundanity of life in a small town like this. It doesn't end that way because that's not what people do. Brandon Flowers is literally the exception that proves the rule. The truth is that the sentiments of the title track and the getting by are the sentiments of the most healthy and most well adjusted members of communities like this. Brandon's not singing about how people ought to address this life. He's singing about how they do address the circumstances they're in. People don't break out, almost ever. They do one of three things. They ignore the pain and bury deep down, only allowing themselves to view their lives as complete and their town as truly a great place to live, even as they suffer internally and economically. This view is represented in the interviews and thankfully not in lyrics as it's the most cliched and uninteresting story to tell (this feeling is described in quiet town, but it's mentioned ironically in the chorus and it is from the point of view of the person who broke out of there in the last verse. It's never fully romanticized). Another thing people do is lash out against their town and circumstance. They take drugs, allow their anger to lead them starting fires or physically harming another person. The last way people tend to approach is they acknowledge the hardship caused by the circumstances and the grim reality of being stuck in a barbwire town, but they remain hopeful that there's still truly a way to find happiness and fulfilment, that maybe it's the getting by that gets right underneath ya. The reviewer was genuinely sincere and appreciated the resonance of the stories and the importance of telling them, but it's obvious he simply does not know the kinds of people described in these stories.

[@tylerlizenby5625]

yes. the killers are john mellencamp with synths

[@MB-ib2iq]

Yeah, these songs are from the inner perspective of the people within a small town and how they deal, much the same as Springsteen did in Nebraska. It's incredible Brandon Flowers and the band were able to take on that perspective in such a genuine way considering their fame and success.

[@ianschleh8488]

This was the comment I was looking for. I’m glad you took the time to address this aspect of his critique, bc it was necessary.

[@abby4684]

The lashing out point was one of the reason Cody is my favorite of the album. It’s so very realistic and depressing and horrible and amazing. I love it.

[@jaaxoon]

Well said bro

[@carsondurrant5674]

Besides Detroit 2 that had to have been the most 8 sounding 7 I’ve ever heard

[@tyzac17]

This comment lmao

[@Ben-mr6rt]

Title track being his least favorite is insane

[@WFM]

This album is very personal to me since it came out during a lot of important and eventful things going on in my life, I’m sure many years down the line I’ll listen to this album again and remember all of that

[@mewgiah8057]

I actually really loved Imploding the Mirage as well. I feel like its aged really well, and stands out from just being a generic stadium anthem record. The americana influence on it is dialed in so well at this point in their career - compared to the incredibly flawed Battle Born. IMO Battle Born and Wonderful Wonderful were both major duds of albums. The band had lost their way and were not pleasing anyone. Not only did they step away from the 80s New Wave sound that made them popular, but Flowers obsession with Springsteen wasn't really fully realized yet. But I feel like they found their identity again on Imploding the Mirage, with all the various influences coming together into a cohesive whole. Pressure Machine is an even better album! So I'm really impressed with the little late career bloom the Killers have found themselves in.

[@dandytv1510]

Say what you want about Wonderful Wonderful, but given enough time and age, I think The Man will be seen as their best single of all time. 🤧

[@PeteTheChopp]

Great review melon. This is one of my albums of the year. Pretty cool they put this out just 11 months out after their last LP. Title track is great btw. That violin at the end is beautiful.

[@calebeedude5331]

The first track is just perfect

[@danielvillarreal0.079]

This is probably my fav review from Anthony, he goes much deeper than usual into the emotional and conceptual side of the album, and the insight that he gives is so immersive, much more than just describing the different sounds in it

[@iceblink_void1636]

super excited to hear that you enjoyed this album since the last two got “ok” ratings. it isn’t “old killers” but its an stunning, thoughtful direction.

[@seandog]

FINALLY! I’ve commented on every one of your videos since the album came out asking for you to review it!🤣

[@sinemine8418]

Nice review, Anthony! Will there be any chance to get a review for the just-released "GLOW ON" by Turnstile as well?

[@jasey5502]

Looks like a godspeed album cover

[@SingTheSorrow7]

the testimonials at the start of every track gave me the same vibe

[@OohLaawd]

Quite unlikely but I've felt like the songs are inspired by godspeed to some extent as well, the strings at 3.00 in West Hills sounds like a screwdriver part, the slide guitar in the verse of Car Outside reminds me so much of 5.30 in Like antennas to heaven, instrumentally Desperate Things could be a godspeed track from 3.30 onwards. All timestamps are from the version with bridges. And yeah as mentioned the bridges/testimonials also give of the godspeed-vibe!

[@jasey5502]

@@OohLaawd and the album cover

[@lisaberglund312]

Looks like a white Nebraska

[@dandytv1510]

Yeah they killed it with this album cover

[@davidcamino713]

So better than MBDTF?? Of course, like many other albums 😎

[@yahirbear]

Ha ha

[@johnsmusicpassions9740]

I agree about the interviews - for me they are essential to gain an emotional attachment to the songs - great album by a band that previously haven't impacted me

[@h0lly_blue]

watching some new melon content at 12:00 AM while eating Ben & Jerry's - good times

[@fearfulstatic]

What do you think of Spaceman and For Reasons Unknown?

[@pressurechief]

this album actually made me want to move back into a small town

[@hahayes2345]

So glad you reviewed this, thought you would skip it. Its their most conceptual and focused album yet, a really admirable step for them

[@sfilipee]

Would never guess they had this album in them. Very suprised.

[@tpags7398]

So now we’re giving positive scores to Murderers Anthony?

[@mikekasabion]

Anthony has starved me for so long that I’m blessed to see a 7/10 for a Killers album 😭

[@kangarapps368]

Thank you so much Melon. The Killers are my favourite music act ever and I listened to this as soon as I could and loved it all. I’m glad you gave this a good score and a review with lots of praise.

[@tonytonie]

really well-thought review, although I adore the title track. Also the album is one of the best this year, definitely

[@nickperry3255]

I'm glad everyone here appreciates this album as much as i do, because all of my friends I show this to could care less.

[@saardean4481]

Very good content my man. Much enjoying your channel

[@wadestokan5855]

Hot Fuss is a great record. Nice to know they came out with another pretty cool one.

[@natekolker3563]

listen to sams town! it’s their album after hot fuss and it’s great

[@ElijahThomasFANCYOWL]

I think the abridged version will be helpful for coffee shops playing folky playlists and such. I love the field recordings, but I could see how they would be distracting in a study setting.

[@misterrkalebhimself]

I grew up in a town not too far from Nephi, so this record was a pretty personal one for me. I do agree with a lot of what Tweettano said. Good review.

[@ghostmaker2909]

Same. Born raised and lived most of my life in utah county, the county just north of nephi

[@misterrkalebhimself]

@@ghostmaker2909 hey neighbor, I’m just below you in Sanpete county

[@claguna92]

Fantano your s's are hitting pretty hard what's up with your mic?

[@shaneaustin6754]

Love this one, some of Brandon's best lyrics to date. I think I preferred Imploding the Mirage, but Pressure Machine is awesome. I don't understand the abridged version being a thing, without the interview snippets the songs wouldn't make as much sense.

[@jeebs621]

I enjoy the killers, they have their own sound and I like how they’ve been around for so long

[@alexrein5838]

“The mountainside’s all waterMELON red”

[@RyanRenteria]

the background w/ the mars volta box set, bitches brew, and TPAB is goated

[@pestobitch]

I would like to see where you place the Killers albums on a tier list… perhaps a goal for whenever their next record comes out?

[@natechenry]

Not their best, but not bad. I personally prefer last records over this one. I like that they can change up their sound while still kind of sounding like the same old killers

[@MrNookie89]

I think this album is the best since Day & Age.

[@brandonpascucci1]

Yes! I’ve been waiting for this review.

[@themodestpineapple9236]

I loved listening to regular version of the album by itself but the abridged version is great for playlists after already hearing the songs

[@digitramch]

Saying "Brandon Flowers is sexy" for almost 10 minutes isn't a review, melon.

[@themandownstairs4765]

but is he wrong?? I think not

[@boynotgenius]

I mean he isn’t wrong

[@dandytv1510]

I'm straight but like... He is.

[@tristinmccarthy]

As someone who has lived their entire life maybe an hour away from Nephi, UT, growing up in the Mormon culture, and seeing it from an outside perspective, this album hits hard for me. I think living here and knowing the context helps fill in those gaps you mentioned, but not being immersed in that culture, I see where those flaws are. But yeah this album is really good

[@omarmickelson1204]

For sure. The LDS references on this album really stuck out to me as someone who grew up Mormon. I know Brandon has quietly referenced his faith and added little touches like that on previous records, but I definitely wasn't expecting explicit name drops to Spanish Fork and the Holy Ghost on this LP. Really enhances the backdrop and the themes of Pressure Machine, which has to be my favorite Killers album in at least the past 15 years.

[@roadrossmap]

When I first spotted this album while searching for classics from them like most songs from Sam's Town and some from Hot Fuzz, I noticed they released this 2020 new thing I hadn't even noticed this whole time, mostly because I didn't have spotify before a week ago due to money issues. First hear through, the interviews seem kinda like..."ugh" to me. Like, why can't I just listen to the songs one after the other? It seemed bold but kind of dumb on their end to not release one of just the songs. I couldn't understand most of what they were singing, I'm a terrible listener, so I looked up the lyrics and started hearing and understanding a little more about why the interviews were there. 2nd time listening, I was a little more atoned to what the songs were about, and hearing the interviews before hand made me realize the connections to the songs topics. 3rd and subsequent listened, now we'll over 19 times in the course of a week, and wow... I mean. Brandon Flowers really either took these interviews and gave them individually stories, either fictitious or mostly fictitious and some truth, or maybe even all true, and mixed and mashed the same elements over and over from different perspectives of some of the things the interviewed had talked about. For me, for example, in West Hills the song talks about the guy getting arrested for "possession of enough to kill, the horses that run free, in the West Hills" of them "hillbilly heroin pills." In my interpretation, horses meaning the people of the town, and this "dealer" being the reason why in "parents wept through daddy's girl's eulogy..." "...with their daughters and sons laying there lifeless in their suits and gowns. SOMEBODY has been keeping secrets." Or like how in this same song, Quite Town, those two kids who had a baby that got hit by a train because things went wrong in their lives, and as one of the interviewed states, "EVERYONE knows about the trains...every 2-3 years someone gets hit by the train....I think it's a way to a escape this life if you get hit by the train," in the song "In The Car Outside" sounds like one of the those two sweethearts, who met a divorcee, ex fling from high school and I guess we can imagine they got caught and critized by the town to the point of s*****. The woman cheated on could possibly be the lady interviewed who says she's "26 so I have lived 26 years here." I love it. And given that now I am living in a small town, 3rd most dangerous city in the US, yeah, I can see how a lot of what is talked about in this album definitely is a good depiction of the here, where judges and cops all know each other from..well, forever, and can possibly get away with much much more like in "Desperate Things." Anyways, this is a 10 for me. It may be hard to relate if you've never seen life through the lens of a small town and small town decisions and tropes, such as being stuck somewhere because everyone else is doing the same thing, working at the place where you are expected to work and help "family" out while sacrificing your own future....oh wait, I guess a lot of people can relate to that...but also..it just has so many elements that, at least with me, they resonate so much with. Maybe I'm not an opioid, not so distant from the present, a lifeless person laying in my suit because of alcohol dependence...but, there's plenty of that as well here. Well, everywhere. Idk, I fully fell in love with the songs and the interviews prior. I definitely feel like a in Sleepwalker and the guy "at the verge of a terrible thing," at times, stuck somewhere where I can't move out of because of my addiction and financials, but with a sliver of hope still alive somewhere. Hope everyone enjoys it as the beautiful master piece it is.

[@brendanb2982]

Jesus I didn't even notice they put out another album

[@kylewalker386]

could you do any of tally hall’s albums?

[@hankfrance4559]

Killers started high, fell a bit, and are soaring again

[@GavinusMaximusMaster]

Ive been to Nephi, cant imagine growing up there. Im from a small town in the mountain west but Nephi makes my town look like a bustling metropolis.

[@aaryamanjoshi4274]

Removing 3 points because they “didn’t actually brutally murder anyone” is not a good way to review music, Anthony.

[@123rockfan]

I think there’s a bit of a Tom Waits influence on the album as well.

[@jordanvangesen2080]

I thought I would come back and check what Anthony thought about it because as a kid who grew up in Utah who is very familiar with Nephi and with a father who grew up in the same type of Mormon small town. This album is the most accurate and haunting depiction I’ve ever heard. Everything Flowers talks about in this album and sings is so accurate it’s scary. It’s my favorite Killers album of all time because the music is good and the story is what living in small town America is actually like. I would give it a 10/10 but then again I am someone who is familiar with the cycle and culture. This album does not speak for everyone. However if your looking for a good outside looking in perspective I would rate a bit higher at a solid 8. I love you Anthony and your really great to listen too!

[@elderender]

Compared to the previous album and having listened to it a couple of times now I can see the argument of it's really different from what I've heard from the killers and in a way I would've like to hear a version that didn't include those synths on there because it really threw me off from the mood of the album however maybe something that I don't recall you mention is that this album would've been better if they rearrange the playlist because I feel like the song "in another life" would've been the perfect closer the song terrible things following the song runaway horses and sleepwalker and desperate things closer together. and cut off the song quiet town the mood and lyrics for me at least were miss in the overall context of the album. Great review Mr. Fantano

[@Hayhoestudios]

Wow I didn't know they made a new album let alone another album last year

[@brentfitz1990]

Thorough review, Melon. Next you should review “Loving In Stereo” from JUNGLE.

[@maotsedunk1362]

Not my personal favorite but still love the album. Hope they revisit this sound down the line so it doesn’t just stay as some small detour in their catalog.

[@Aarownd]

I need to listen to the album again, I definitely liked Imploding The Mirage more, but there were a few standout songs on this one I really gotta go back to before forming much of an opinion.

[@atomicbrain9401]

turn the 7 upside down, it’s a 9 now

[@James-ud3ns]

I really enjoyed Imploding the Mirage personally, but I was skeptical of this new album (since it came out so suddenly). And yeah, I do agree it has its flaws, but I loved this album so much. Especially since I have family who live in a small town, and a lot of what the album dives into I understood. Even if I didn't grow up with it personally. I also love albums with atmospheres and I think this one does it really well. It feels like the band are improving off the shortcomings on Sam's Town and creating a full album. I love every song for this reason.

[@wwillsworld]

i think you misspelled Boldy James - Bo Jackson

[@rudranilbhattacharjee1398]

I am happy that you reviewed them.

[@boratureli9925]

West Hills is such a masterpiece!