‘Sam’s Town’: The Killers album Brandon Flowers called “underrated”
When The Killers announced themselves on the scene with their debut album Hot Fuss, they looked destined for superstardom. However, for their next project, the band opted against simply recreating the successful formula used on the first LP and, instead, decided to mix things up by leaning into their American roots, creating a conceptual narrative based around a fictional typical forgotten town.
The easy route for The Killers would have been to make another ‘Mr Brightside’ and work to a strict procedure, but in doing so, it would mean sacrificing their artistic integrity. Instead, the band threw themselves into the fictionalised world of Sam’s Town. At the time of release, the album caused a divisive reaction, with some believing it was a masterpiece while others struggled to connect with the message.
Commercially, Sam’s Town was a rousing success, and to date, it has sold more than five million copies worldwide. The Killers singer Brandon Flowers thoroughly believed in the project and saw it as a step up from their debut. However, upon release, the singer was disappointed by the response to the album and believed it was “underrated” for many years until public opinion turned.
“In the early days, Sam’s Town was definitely underrated and misunderstood, by critics at least,” Flowers explained to Vulture. “It was sort of our venture into our American roots, and maybe even exploring our masculinity a little bit more than we did on the album before”.
He continued: “We did start noticing more male fans coming around at that time. I don’t think people were prepared for us to make such a 180 from the record before. The way our aesthetic changed, and the sound changed and kind of toughened up a little bit. There was also this newfound heart that I don’t think was really on Hot Fuss. I think Sam’s Town is definitely that record. We have a soft spot for that one.”
Sam’s Town also includes Flowers’ favourite song by The Killers, ‘Read My Mind’. In 2017, the Nevada native reflected upon the band’s journey so far, and said of the track: “My favourite song, I’ve not been shy about, is ‘Read My Mind’. It doesn’t matter if we’re in a bar or an arena or a stadium or a festival or to 50 people, when ‘Read My Mind’ starts, the room changes.”
Flowers added: “I guess it’s strange to have reverence for something that you had a part in creating but I guess I’m just thankful for that song.”
As time has passed, the popularity of Sam’s Town has continued to increase thanks to the timeless nature of the record, which has allowed the album to age gracefully. It was a left turn which paid dividends, and in the eyes of many, seemingly including Flowers, the LP captures The Killers at the peak of their powers.
Listen to ‘Read My Mind’ below.
