Collegiate Times

Over the summer, Brandon Flowers said that his band, The Killers, would release "the best album in the past 20 years." On Oct. 3 The Killers released ?Sam?s Town.?

Widely considered one of modern rock?s most promising bands, the Killers burst on the scene during the fall of 2004. Their debut album, "Hot Fuss," sold 3 million copies. Of the 11 tracks on ?Hot Fuss?, six became singles. The songs "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside" were pop chart mainstays for weeks upon months. As if a multimillion dollar album sale wasn't enough, the Killers went on tour for the next two years, and at one point, performed as U2's opening act. Thus with the band?s previous success and Flowers? flamboyant commentary, it was just assumed that "Sam's Tour" was going to be as Flowers promised.

But if there has ever been a problem with crashing into the music scene with a multi-platinum album, it?s that people expect the same, if not more. "Sam's Town" hardly meets the hype. This album isn't the best album in the last month, much less, the past 20 years, and that's just in its own genre. Yet, while this isn't a great album, it's not exactly a fall down flop. It?s one of the many ?could have been better, could have been worse? scenarios.

So in the words of the great Fred Willard, "Whaaa Happened?" Well for starters, Brandon Flowers. He is the Freddie "FredEx" Mitchell of the modern rock scene. After the Killers made their millions of dollars, Flowers became deeply upset that other bands like the Bravery, Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy were managing to pull off similar accomplishments with similar music. Flowers accused them of riding his coattails.

Currently, The Killers and Panic! At the Disco are the rock version of The Game and 50 Cent. Unfortunately for those of us in the peanut gallery, this feud is more likely to end with grown men in makeup slapping each other with satin gloves rather than gunshots in the foot at a nightclub.

Flowers? words and actions have already put the group in a tight spot as people (including myself) felt ?Hot Fuss? was the best album of 2004. However, when it comes to divas like Flowers, none of us would be too upset if reality crashed in for the outspoken front man.

With ?Sam?s Town? there are two problems. The first is that Flowers thinks he and his syntho-rock band are our generation?s version of the Cure. The second problem is that he fails miserably at imitating the Cure.

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