The album’s first single,  “Caution,” opens with cinematic washes of sound before setting into an ’80s synth-pop groove reminiscent of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.” The song’s chorus explodes with anthemic intensity that suggests triumphant liberation, but would also work perfectly in a commercial about the joys of life now that your skin condition has cleared up. These lyrics are troublesome when considering the recent allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from 2009. His writing about science fiction has appeared on io9.com, boingboing, and Daily Science Fiction. Despite its release being delayed by a few 2017's promising "Wonderful Wonderful" hinted that there was a bit of life left in The Killers. Required fields are marked *. The Killers, and Flowers especially, are not known for their subversion. Leave it to Las Vegas to market implosions. Imploding the Mirage marginally reinvents the Killers' sound, but the lyrics problematically redesign archaic ideology, resulting in a regressive album. "Fire In Bone" follows the album's lead single, "Caution," which was released last month.Imploding The Mirage features collaborators like including Lindsey Buckingham, kd lang, Weyes Blood, Adam Granduciel (War On Drugs), Blake Mills and Lucius. 2 of Halloween Month. The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers takes us inside the making of the band's sixth album, 'Imploding the Mirage.' Imploding the Mirage has a distinctly retro feel to it. B.B. And yet, … The album was produced by the band, along with Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado of Foxygen,and is the band's first record since leaving their hometown of Las Vegas. Watch a video for Caution from the Killers’ new album, Imploding the Mirage. On "My Own Soul's Warning" and "My God", the religious references are readable as existential crises. The 'you' is never fully explained. That 'time' doesn't happen on Imploding the Mirage. David Gill gave up a life of rock and roll to teach writing and literature at San Francisco State University. When "everyone's compromising", they are unwavering from their belief in the gender norms maintained by institutionalized marriage. When Flowers sings, "I'll be there when water's rising / I'll be your lifeguard", he restates the previously mentioned lack of women's agency, then position himself as the dominant male. As of the time of…, Clockwise from top left: James Tillman, Compass, Plants and Animals, Mr. Bungle, Church of Roswell (Candi Carpenter and…, • Contact   • Your email address will not be published. Flowers closes the song with an admonition: “‘Cause it’s some kind of sin/ To live your whole life/ On a might’ve been/ I’m ready now.”. As punks were looking for some potential pathways out of the cul-de-sacs of their limited soundscapes, they saw in funk a way to expand the punk palette without sacrificing either their ethos or idea(l)s. The Reign of Kindo's Joseph Secchiaroli delves deep into their latest single and future plans, as well as how COVID-19 has affected not only the band but America as a whole. “My God” moves between forceful stabs of ominous synthesizer and polished and chewy bubblegum pop. Imploding the Mirage, the new album from The Killers, is the complete opposite: an open and vibrant set of songs overflowing with love, hope, despair, determination, nostalgia, regret and every other emotion Hemingway’s characters seem determined to repress. “Running Towards a Place” feels like a long lost Tom Petty song from the days of his skinniest ties. Congratulations, Gabriella! Released after a lengthy delay caused by COVID-19, Imploding the Mirage promises dynamite rock 'n' roll yet delivers tepid synthpop. Advertise with RIFF, Copyright © 2019 RIFF Magazine | All Rights Reserved | Entertainment Website. Yet Flowers doesn't engender the heroic alpha male he believes himself to be. The album is produced by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen and Shawn Everett returns after his work on 2017's Wonderful, Wonderful. About RIFF   • Photo: Otto Kitsinger To millions who came into adolescence in the late ‘90s,…, t.A.T.u, Courtesy: NatureBoyMD/Wikicommons. Insert Foot: What live act would you risk seeing during COVID-19? Jukebox the Ghost's Tommy Siegel discusses his "500 Comics in 500 Days" project, which is now a new book, I Hope This Helps. Island Records, Aug. 21 Here Flowers uses mundane euphemisms to illustrate a visit to a prostitute ending in premature ejaculation. The song’s religious overtones give it a bit of a Hallmark Channel vibe, but the message of hope and cooperation rings true. Avatar shows us that to fight for only the people we know, for simply the things that affect us personally, is neither brave nor heroic, nor particularly useful. In his place, the album teems with keyboards and synths, giving Imploding the Mirage a bombastic electropop sound. Flowers’ energy is all over the map on Imploding the Mirage, and at times approaches country-music levels of theatrical intensity. Unfortunately, Imploding the Image frequently perpetuates misogyny. Follow writer David Gill at Twitter.com/songotaku and Instagram/songotaku. As I’m writing this well in advance,…, Clockwise from top left: PREP, Yola, Spencer Burton, Tank and the Bangas, Kacey Johansing, Drew Citron and Porches.…, John Cale, Courtesy: Paul Hudson/Wikicommons. In case the rigidity of gender and social norms associated with Mormonism is forgotten, "Dying Breed" is a clear reminder. Listen online or download the iHeartRadio App. 7/10. Imploding the Mirage , the band say, is a record that recaptures joy in the wake of the family’s move. As such, the closing title track is evermore cringey. Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham appears on "Caution" and k.d. Instead, he is more akin to a confused boomer who realizes his values are outdated and society has progressed without him. Every song seems to have an assortment of sonic bells and whistles ably applied by producer Shawn Everett, who’s worked with everyone from Hozier and The Alabama Shakes to Kim Gordon and Beck. The Killers’ Imploding the Mirage is a euphoric, bombastic album thekillersimplodingthemirage.jpg. Moreover, the Killers repurpose specific Biblical verses. This week there will be no…, The Nightmare Before Christmas. The western span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge photographed on Sept. 9, 2020.…, Megadeth performs at the Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino on Sept. 6, 2006. Listen, I watched and read the news. Fans eager to hear The Killers' new album Imploding the Mirage next month are going to have to wait a little longer. King's 'Indianola Mississippi Seeds' Retooled R&B, Bad Wires Release a Monster of a Debut with 'Politics of Attraction', Matt Berninger Takes the Mic Solo on 'Serpentine Prison', 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Nudges Out Conscience in Our Time of Crises, LA Rockers Swerve Make a Dark, Romantic "Escape" (premiere), Rachel Brooke Has "The Lovells Stockade Blues" (premiere), Low Cut Connie Share Their 'Private Lives', 'Alaska' Was Where Between the Buried and Me Clicked, RUI HO Creates Ecstatic Electropop on 'Lov3 & L1ght'. Hotels in particular, excluding the legendary Mirage, most frequently undergo controlled demolition. The former guitarist for Chicago grunge band Hog Lady wrote about music for SonicNet during the 1990s. Frontman Brandon Flowers' spiritual beliefs are apparent throughout the album. Realizing overt references would likely alienate their audience, the religiosity is interpretable. Brandon Flowers also recently encouraged fans to wash their hands for 20 seconds in a second clip featuring him lathering up while singing "Mr Brightside.". They paired the statement with a new single, and one of their "favorite album tracks," "Fire In Bone.". Los Angeles' Swerve share their new single "Escape", which marries 1970s-inspired aesthetics with contemporary sensibilities. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. Imploding the Mirage, the new album from The Killers, is the complete opposite: an open and vibrant set of songs overflowing with love, hope, despair, determination, nostalgia, regret and every other emotion Hemingway’s characters seem determined to repress. The secluded island trope in films such as Cast Away and television shows such as Lost gives culture a chance to examine and explain the human animal in pristine, lab like, habitat conditions. Using deferential language to describe women creates an unacceptable power imbalance. Photo: Chloe Catajan. Imploding the Mirage Evident when Flowers sings, "Wipe the dust from my eye / Wash my feet with your tears." Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. Cameron co-wrote five tracks on the band’s 2017 album, Wonderful Wonderful,and contributed to four tracks on Imploding the Mirage. I know…, Jacob Blake This is supposed to be a humor column about music. For Flowers, it is a deeply personal reflection of his connection to spirituality. We will publish a few essays daily while we develop the new site. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. lang sings on “Lightning Fields,” adding to the song’s dramatic build that relies on heavy bass and snatches of evocative piano. Although their sixth studio album was recorded in Utah, the Killers, originally formed in Vegas, found inspiration in the city's race with modernity. Her "white trash" upbringing is emphasized without consideration of the nomenclature's offensiveness. Even more frustrating, "Blowback" and "Caution" get close to subverting gender norms without fully manifesting.