"He doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined when you were young." ~the killers

Right now I am listening to what has been, to me, the most anticipated album of the past 2 years. Sam's Town, by The Killers, has finally leaked. It's being released next week and I preordered it a long time ago, but I got my hands on it ahead of time and I'm trying to decide what I think. This is a huge deal to me; I'm obsessed with music and, in particular, with The Killers. And the release of their sophomore album is pretty important. Now everyone gets to see if Hot Fuss was just a fluke or if these guys are the real thing (which I know they are). I haven't finished listening to the whole thing and I need at least a few listens to solidify my thoughts, but my initial reaction is that it's good. It has a slightly different sound from Hot Fuss, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (I LOVE Hot Fuss, which means it's pretty hard to top, and I like that they're experimenting with new sounds). They're thinking big on this album (which is both good and bad). Everyone's been making the Bruce Springsteen comparisons, which are definitely valid (especially on When You Were Young), but I wouldn't put too much weight on them. I think The Killers are great at creating their own sound by drawing from a wide variety of inspirations (mostly from the 80s). Right now I'd say I like Hot Fuss better than Sam's Town, but the new album might grow on me, and it's definitely not bad.
Listening to the album makes me sad in a way because I've been looking forward to it for so long, and now that expectation is gone.
Sam's Town should make for some pretty good concerts (it's good concert music). Here's one of my favorite pictures that I've ever taken. It's Brandon Flowers, the soul of The Killers, in one of my favorite concerts ever.