The Killers Are Back With Just Another Pulsating Rocker

Fear not, friends. The Killers you fondly remembered from the age of "Mr. Brightside" and "When You Were Young" shows no ring rust whatsoever on "Just Another Girl" one of two new cuts from the band's "Direct Hits" compilation. Beautifully woven the song grabs the reins of its steadily building momentum and knocks out a rock adventure that is sure to leave you gasping for air. This Las Vegas act shows respect to the new wave keyboards that back then ushered in a future we could have only dreamed about in movies or sci-fi TV. Brandon Flowers giddily forgets he's the leader of a band whenever he steps to the mike. Some of your higher grade A-list vocalists, Freddie Mercury chief among them, succeeded in mixing theatrics with leather clad bombast. Brandon leans towards stage dynamics in large part. "Just Another Girl" inserts Brandon into agony's uncompromising clutches. The story revolves around the garden variety girl his friends insist he should ditch post haste. He himself is convinced he'd be better off alone. Besides in this huge world there are plenty of other potential hook-ups he could try out. Mark Stoermer bears down on his bass. Our reward for his labor is playing that plunges to the marrow of what can be accomplished with said instrument. Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. keeps his drumming at a very admirable level of virtuosity. For certain The Killers successfully look and sound the part of a rejuvenated foursome that doesn't really need to go greatest hits package on any of us but sagely brought a new prime entree for us to nibble on while we await their latest delectable disc. Brandon shows why The Killers wouldn't pack the same wallop without him. If someone were brought into the fold who relies on a snarl, rasp, or too many gymnastics the band's identity would suffer greatly. "Just Another Girl" doesn't resort to insanely implausible guitar solos at the bridge to get its message across. This broth doesn't have too many cooks. Keys, bass, drum, and vocals are equally seasoned ingredients in this rave earning taste treat. At the bridge Brandon comes to the conclusion his friends would be wise to understand maybe he doesn't want another girl, any old temptress in a pleasing shape. Why rearrange the furniture in one's personal space when the decor is fine as is. The Killers excel at not playing the aloofness card with their listeners or the powers that be that play a role in deciding what kind of career longevity they're bound to have. There's bite but little in the way of imposing blood drips along the studio console. As a ear-motivating jigsaw puzzle the pieces mesh convincingly to make a dashingly glamorous whole. "Just Another Girl" isn't just another rock single. The Killers have made good on any unspoken promise to rejoin the rock fray with yet another engrossing addition to their already commendable catalog.