Album Review

The Killers – Sawdust

• 22nd Nov 2007

Good buy is the hardest sell…

A collection of B-sides and rarities…Hooray! In all honesty, the disc filling ‘Sawdust’ is a good and pleasing buy. You’re getting a feel for the Killers diversity that, for me, doesn’t get to see the light of day nearly half enough and more. A handful of cover versions of folk as far afield as Kenny Rogers and Joy Division certainly add appeal and along with a somewhat predictable but nonetheless glorious Lou Reed duet, ‘Sawdust’ does indeed kick ass! Though there are answer-machine messages and cold 10 minute dance mixes, children’s choirs and weakened but quirky piano acoustic versions to endure, you’ve got to remember that less is more, unless you find yourself in a scuba diving accident wondering what happened to all your oxygen! So, B-sides or not, this LP holds great allure and even a thank you to the fans to whom it’s considerately dedicated.

Almost everyone’s been far too quick to highlight the fact that just two LP’s in, The Killers are already ripping off the fans but I disagree. If their record label have instructed them to earn their crust and justify their signing fee, to shift more units and as it were, play the game, they could’ve done it in far more sinister ways like re-releasing Hot Fuss & Sam’s Town as special editions with a wafer thin cardboard sleeve to annoyingly house them singularly or as a set, that really would’ve upset the balance, wouldn’t it?. Maybe they’re waiting ‘til after the 3rd highly anticipated LP before they start releasing enhanced versions and bonus live discs boasting sets so, for now at least, let’s fight for our love affair with a band that may or may not (depending upon the accuracy of memory) have filled the gap left by an hyped up and ego blinded bunch of formerly glorious bastards called The Strokes.