Day and Age

I don't believe there's a single person in the world who doesn't like the Killers. And now that it's finally here, time to review their new album!

Here's the first single released off the album, Human.

for the rest of the tracks, click

My personal favorites were Spaceman, an upbeat, dancefloor track, and This Is Your Life, even though the music itself is really more interesting than the lyrics, since its backed by a great bass line, as well as a sort of tribal-chant.
Other tracks include Losing Touch, a jazzy, smooth listen, Joy Ride, which transports you back to the 70's with its disco-y feel. The album then slows down a bit with A Dustland Fairytale, a sad ballad. But it picks up again quickly with I Can't Stay, which features steel drums and acoustic guitar for a fun medley. Neon Tiger is somewhat reminiscent of Sam's Town, and when followed by The World We Live In, I found it kind of like a slump in the middle of the album (more about that later). In Goodnight, Travel Well, is like seven minutes of reflection, and I'll bet if you really listened to it you'd find a lot of meaning (but I unfortunately didn't have that kind of time.)
As for the bonus track, A Crippling Blow, the beat almost made it 60's reminiscent, and its also an amazing display of vocals from Brandon Flowers!
With every new album, there are some songs that jump right out at you. These are usually the singles; the hits. Its the other songs, the songs that take a few listens to sink in, are the ones that really resonate. So if I just dissed your favorite song, don't be mad, I just haven't had time to appreciate them fully.
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The Circus Comes to Town

I think Britney herself said it best with "It's been awhile." Although it's been only a few years since she last tore up the charts, her erratic behavior was better at selling tabloids than albums. Now that she's really back this time, she's got a solid album to prove it. In fact, you'll be glad to know that lead single Womanizer is one of the lesser tracks in comparison. Womanizer feels flat when compared with the hyper, chantey feel of songs like the salacious If U Seek Amy (try saying it out loud, or rather in your head if there are people around.) Elsewhere, she succeeds with the confident Kill The Lights, cooing "is that money in your pocket, or you're happy to see me?" in reference to her famed experiences with the paparazzi. Surprisingly, one of my favorite moments comes in the down-tempo techno track Unusual You. It's gentle without being contrived, and still remains a standout. Speaking of standouts, there's also the title track Circus, with a chorus sure to be on everyone's lips in a matter of days; the introspective Blur where Britney admits she "can't remember what I did last night;"the chaotic Mannequin, which is actually downright experimental for arguably the most mainstream artist in the world; and the bass-slapping Lace & Leather, which feels like a tongue in cheek take on a Prince/Janet Jackson sound-a-like. The duds? My Baby, although certainly sweet, is one of the more boring songs I've heard in a while and Out From Under tries too hard to be emotional. Otherwise, it's a great album that I would definitely recommend as well as give the The Guide to Everything Fabulous stamp of approval. Circus hits stores December 2nd.
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