The Killers: "Day and Age" Review

I must admit, this one caught me by surprise. The Killers have made a complete 180 turn with their newest album, Day and Age. Some reviewers have already called it their best album yet, and others have said that it's nothing more than a strained revival of 80s pop music. Well, it seems to me that both are true.

These are not The Killers we've all come to know from their first two albums. It is true that Day and Age sounds much more like 80s pop than their traditional "neo wave" and punk-esque style. Their two leading singles, "Human" and "Spaceman" make this change in style painfully clear. Oddly enough, the end result is that newcomers might love this album, while fans are put off by it. I can't emphasize enough that despite all its good points, Day and Age is a huge middle finger in the face of Killers fans.

With this in mind, it might be hard to imagine how this could be called their best album, so I'll explain that first. The first two albums were dripping with style, in a good way, but let's face it, most of the songs on both were fillers. Each one only had three or four really good songs. Day and Age is much more consistent in quality. If you find that you like the new style, then chances are you'll love this album. Only one or two songs fall below the quality standard. So while I can't call any of these songs excellent, almost all of them are solid.

The two singles are the obvious standouts. "Spaceman" is without a doubt the best song. It's full and catchy, and it clearly got the most work in production. Then there's "Human." I think most people will either love or hate this one. It takes a major influence from 80s pop, and the vocal style is a painful reminder that this can hardly even be called rock music anymore. The melody sounds like it could have come straight out of a Broadway musical or a Pet Shop Boys tune, take your pick. Nevertheless, it's catchy, and some people will take to it easily.

"Catchy," in fact, is a good way to describe almost all the songs on this album. They might not have you rocking out the way The Killers did before, but somehow you'll find yourself singing them all day. I would list song titles here, but as I look at the album, it seems that every song with the exception of "Joy Ride" and "Goodnight, Travel Well" fit into this category. As for those two, "Joy Ride" is the weakest link in my opinion; it just doesn't have much going for it. "Goodnight, Travel Well" is the closing song. It's a bit reminiscent of "Everything Will Be Alright" from Hot Fuss. I won't say it's bad, but it's really just there to finish off the album, not to be a memorable song.

So I say again, your enjoyment of this album will be directly proportional to your ability to stomach the change in style. From an objective standpoint (or as close as I can get to it), this is still their best album in terms of quality, but be warned. You should definitely listen to the two singles before you commit to the purchase, or you might be terribly disappointed.

Caius's Rating: 3 stars

Enya: "And Winter Came" Review

Enya does a Christmas album. Fans might hope for this to be a traditional Enya album that simply uses Christmas as the subject matter. In some areas, it works in this regard, but essentially, it sounds more like a tired Christmas special.

Part of the reason for this is simply that Enya is not what she used to be. Any fan of her music will tell you that her first few albums are (generally) beautiful, and her later albums, while not bad, simply aren't as moving. Take 2005's "Amarantine." It was a decent album, and it still had that mellow, soothing Enya style, but it fell short in originality. The same is true of "And Winter Came," but to a greater degree.

Although most of these songs are Enya's own, most of them sound more like old Christmas carols than original works. The melodies are painfully predictable, and the punchy, major-key vocals of "White is the Winter Night" and "One Toy Soldier" just don't carry much emotion.

There are a few songs that might be worth a listen for Enya fans. "Trains and Winter Rains" sounds more like a true Enya original. "Last Time By Moonlight" is the warmest song on the album. I wish the rest of the songs sounded more like this one; it's classic Enya, and it works. I see "Stars and Moonlight Blue" as a bit of a missed opportunity, as it has a similar vocal style and a suitable melody, but it needs a bit more warmth (and volume) in the strings and a bit more color to the chords to capture the same beauty.

In addition to the original works, there are a couple of actual Christmas carols on the album. "O Come O Come Emanuel" starts off right: a vocal solo drenched in reverb over a constant low drone. Then when it starts to pick up in the remaining verses, it suddenly loses it's flavor. The biggest problem with it is the way she (or her producer, I suppose) textures the vocals with... I'm not sure what it is, but it makes her voice sound electronic and unnatural. Granted, she uses this effect in almost all her songs when she sings chords, but here, it just doesn't fit. The second carol is "Silent Night." All I can say about it is that if you're an Enya fan who also happens to like Christmas music, you'll love it. It centers on vocals, dripping with reverb, and, well, it's good. Not amazing, but good.

I just want to make a quick note about "My! My! Time Flies!" What is this? It's a total reversal in style from the rest of the album, and it comes right at the end, followed only by "Silent Night." It's not that it's a horrible song; it just doesn't fit with this album in any way. Is that an electric guitar I hear? What?

But enough of that. If you're a fan of Enya, you will surely appreciate the gems of this album, and they might be worth downloading to add to your Enya mix. On the whole, though, "And Winter Came" is a disappointment and a mere shadow of what Enya has proven herself to be capable of. Even her recent albums are far superior to this one, and for that reason, I think fans will ultimately be disappointed.

Caius's Rating: 1.5 stars