The Killers Entertainment Art "Sawdust" (Island) Released November 13, 2007

In less than five years, The Killers have managed to transform themselves from a couple of college drop-outs hooked on Oasis into a legitimate musical act that’s become something of a success barometer for all modern American rock bands. Wildly popular with mainstream audiences and still possessing serious hipster cred, the Las Vegas Brandon Flowers and company have skillfully melted British and New Wave sound vibes with American imagery and charisma, into one of the most impressive and solid rock acts of the new century.

I don’t recall if there has been a B-side compilation album released by a major recording artist since Nirvana’s “Incesticides,” but it’s always an interesting choice. It’s something Garbage should have paired their Greatest Hits collection with, instead of a second disc of uninspired remixes. B-sides can be a fun by-product of the creative process for an artist, but also a frustrating notion for the fan, since B-sides often are different (and arguably “better”) than album material, only having failed to fit into a certain musical theme. The Killers’ first two albums 2004’s “Hot Fuss” and last year’s “Sam’s Town” had a very distinctive and cohesive artistic direction, especially evident in the latter LP’s use of heavy American imagery, complete with Flowers’ very own Wild Western mustache and collection of classic vests.

With these tight predecessors then, “Sawdust” comes off messy and inconsistent as a whole album, but since its concept is a collection of leftover tracks from different eras, standard rules may not apply. Track by track the album offers an interesting look into the band’s mentality and perhaps even a foreshadowing for the next project. From the grandeur and electronica of “Sweet Talk” through the Spiderman 3 inspired “Move Away” to the wonderfully dark “Tranquilize” you can clearly see the songs not fitting into any of the earlier concepts, but individually I found some of the tracks on “Sawdust” to be The Killers’ best.

“Shadowplay,” a Joy Division cover starts off rather weak with an awkwardly speedy and alienated beat only to burst with perfectly layered and bouncy guitars. “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” could have been a hit single at one point had its anti-dramatic lyrics and playful feel not have been so out of character for the, at times, pretentiously heavy handed rockers. “Daddy’s Eyes” is so much more explosive, melodic and exciting than its A-side in all aspects of production that it’s hard to believe the band had made a conscious choice not to include it on “Sam’s Town.” Same with “All The Pretty Faces” which has Flowers wailing in his signature overdramatic shaky pitch ‘Help me out, I need it! I don’t feel like touching her no more!” over nervous and rough galloping guitars.

“Sawdust” hardly gives insight into a sound truly original or unpredictable, and yet some of the tracks are simply irresistible in terms of delivery and impact. “Leave The Bourbon on the Shelf” and the aforementioned “Sweet Talk” are two previously unreleased tracks that further showcase the band’s mastery of handling overambitious musical pathos with mainstream sensibility to real great effect. On the other hand other ones like the bland “Where The White Boys Dance,” and “Who Let You Go?” and cute but forgettable Dire Straits cover “Romeo and Juliet” fail to gain any texture from LP exposure, easily transforming into mere filler material.

The last track on the album is the long ascending Thin White Duke Remix of The Killers’ first hit single “Mr Brightside,” and interestingly, Flowers also hinted it may be an example of the band’s new direction. In the end “Sawdust” sort of feels like cleaning out your closet; taking a look back at your inventory, discarding odd items, reflecting on various choices, and holding on to pieces that still stand out strong or might just inspire you all over again. It’s a good self-reflection on the creative process. For instance, what were they thinking with that awful ‘severed hand in the woods’ poster?

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