Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
 |
Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Nathan Atnikov |
For a band with only two proper albums, The Killers have already made a name for themselves when it comes to drastic reinvention. Hot Fuss presented them as synth-pop revivalists behind the strength of undeniable singles. Sam’s Town reformed them as cowboy rock ‘n’ roll saviours – the grizzled kin of U2 and Springsteen, instead of some kids trying to be them.
The B-sides that populate Sawdust are collected from both eras, but display a predominantly new mind frame for the Vegas boys. The band’s typically hopeful tunes are replaced by a sombre, resigned outlook. ‘All the Pretty Faces’ and ‘Sweet Talk’ from the Sam’s Town sessions are more submissive than anything that made the album, and Hot Fuss outtakes like “Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll†hint at a cynicism that erstwhile seemed impossible. Even the newest song of the bunch, ‘Tranquilize’ with Lou Reed, is a moodier version of the Killers than we’re used to, but the album’s highlight is a quiet, faithful rendition of Dire Straits’ ‘Romeo and Juliet.’
For a collection of B-sides, Sawdust is a surprisingly coherent record, and should hardly be considered a throwaway.
