User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 334 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 269 out of 334
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Mixed: 35 out of 334
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Negative: 30 out of 334
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Sep 30, 2010Great follow up too the great Hot Fuss , The Killers certainly dont do things by halfs and the ambition and passion of this album is infectious , my favourite tracks are Bling and This River is Wild the Enterlude / Exitlude are a really nice touch and overall this album feels like a journey rather than just a series of (very good) songs with a common theme like Hot Fuss
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PCNov 19, 2006
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Guidov.Jun 30, 2007I really don't get this band and their rising popularity. What's special about this? It's pretentious, it doesn't really rock the balls out of your pants and the musicians are nothing special.
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CarlBJul 19, 2007Very mediocre. I do not understand why this band are so popular when people like Mark Lanegan are hardly noticed.
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JoshK.Jul 6, 2007One of my favorite albums. It is as good as Hot Fuss, but it takes a few listens to see it. After that you'll notice how every track except the two enter and exit tracks are completely unique.
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BryanOct 10, 2006Took me 4 spins to accept what it was, but once I got over that it wasn't a Hot Fuss clone, I learned to deal with the new style. A couple good singles, the "Sams Town" theme is stupid and obnoxious, definitly a couple of lyrical problems in some songs (Re: title track) but just not a very good album in general. Summary: give it a chance, but it's definitly not for everyone
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ZackAOct 3, 2006
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robbysOct 4, 2006Brilliant from the first to last track.Has to be albm of the year if not decade!!!
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gregorOct 5, 2006They will lose a few fans due to the new direction, but a fantastic album nevertheless even if it is a little daunting at first.
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NellyZOct 9, 2006I Love it, it has great songs and who cares what the critics say.
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GunnarS.Jan 20, 2010This is the really best of The Killers! Amazing album!
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JohnNOct 10, 2006This is an ok effort You have Bling which is excelent easily the standout track and Sam's Town, when we were young, the River is Wild which are all top tracks also. However Bones which most seem to like is awful but why do I keep counting is one of the worst songs I have ever heard it flat out sucks. The rest of the tracks are samesy and do not stand out.
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colinwOct 18, 2006i was unimpressed originally, but the album has really grown on me. songs such as "why do i keep counting," "the river is wild" and "Bling (confession of a king)" have become particular favorites of mine, to join "While you were young" and the enter/exitludes. overall, a very satisfying album.
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TreySOct 2, 2006How far down will Brandon's ego take the band?
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CWhitOct 20, 2006Anyone who doesn't appreciate the lyrics on this album has never heard of a metaphor - which apparently includes most of the reviewers..
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randolflDec 4, 2006
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AlexAOct 27, 2006Sounds epic. Brandon Flovers and co. are the new U2, that's for sure!
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JordanCOct 3, 2006An album filled with wonderful catchy moments, hummable tunes and fantastic lyrics. More rounded than Hot Fuss, more of a story, and in my opinion, better.
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GiterdoneOct 3, 2006lousy...the gig is up fellas
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TomLOct 3, 2006This album is no where near as good as the first one i have waited 2 years and im not happy but its not bad enough to give it less that five
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MCOct 3, 2006I recently them perform on SNL....when i heard Flowers "attempting" to sing I lost whatever small amount of respect I had for them. It was embarassing to watch him. This album has just cemented that. totally over-hyped hacks.
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dylanOct 3, 2006A mediocre record by a band whose ambition has far outstripped it's songwriting and vocal talents.
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JoeWOct 4, 2006pretty good all in all, takes a while to get into but after about the third listen you know all the songs and all the hooks. However the ending is pretty poor and that is why i am only giving it a 7
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MarcOct 4, 2006Dangerous departure from the first album. But they succeedded in making something more lasting and rewarding for listeners who get it. It has a kind of urgency, that makes it sound like they are playing for their lives, like Flowers voice that sounds like it's just one high note away from breaking. It's heartfelt and more honest than the first album. Less posturing, more music.
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MichaelCOct 5, 2006Definitely not "the best record of the last 10 years" like Brandon Flowers boasted, but good enough. Thoroughly enjoyable and solid. It is definitely an improvement on Hot Fuss. The standout track is, by far, "Bones"
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staystayOct 5, 2006Just give it a chance. This record is very good.
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JakeM.Oct 5, 2006So if we were rating this on the Unintentional Comedy Scale, it would be a 10 out of 10. But let's keep this legit - this is junk, pure and straight up.
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TrevorHOct 6, 2006Oh dear... the cynics won't like this at all. That too-cool-for-school posse of world weary Serious Music Fans are bound to sneer at the naive ethusiasm on display here. Unfashionable themes of optimism and dreaming of better thing are grabbed and held tight. Pre-corporate Springsteen comes to mind. It may not have the depth of Born To Run, but it has it's soul in excess
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humanOct 9, 2006
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AlexEOct 9, 2006It's hard to reach the soul of the songs through all this bombast & overproduction; but it's also hard to not let it win you over, once you've been there. Brandon Flowers delivers a perfomance that should have been given much more room to shine. Excellent!
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BobMSep 28, 2006Not as good as Hot Fuss, but an amazing album nonetheless.
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DavidMJan 29, 2007With this album the Killers strike me right in my heart. I realy love the lyrics and melody and the way that it feels like a unity.
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JerryTFeb 16, 2007I LOVE this CD. The more you listen to it the more you learn. The lyrics are great and so is the sound. Congrats to the Killers for topping their first album.
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JeroenAug 31, 2007One of the best albums I have. (only listened to it since 3 weeks).. Am listening now for 3 weeks to it. That happens rarely. Category new one from Kings of leon...Very very good.
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AnnMSep 8, 2008Sams Town is definitely as good as Hot Fuss. This is the only band that has captured my heart. Some of the critics must be listening with their ears closed.
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K.C.SOct 11, 2006
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JamesTOct 12, 2006Are these guys aiming too high? Certainly. But some of the best rock albums of all time have come from musicians aiming too high. I think that this is one of them.
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faheemhNov 4, 2006
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RAGGAMOct 17, 2006Bad, boring, installed into a stardom that ironically have killed them. People use to talk about their new sound as a disguise that you can buy, but in music the real good things dont work like that. And this album is simply bad.
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GrahamVOct 10, 2006
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JamesOct 17, 2006
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AlOct 2, 2006Amazing
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GGinaThisOct 2, 2006
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moooochhahhahhaOct 24, 2006Good album but nothing stands out bones sounds like some crap from the magic numbers and you dont really get to hear the rest of the band as it is seems to be based around brandon cant touch hot fuss and some of its songs i find sams town have turned away from what it did in hot fuss and have just become something which i no longer think sounds great.
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MycroftOct 26, 2006It's not a bad record, it's just that for a band that has their aspirations they sure sound average. And it does not bode well that the remixes of When you were young are better than the original or any of the other tracks on the album.
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JosephAOct 20, 2006
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CandaceSOct 20, 2006This album is nothing short of amazing. As a fan of Hot Fuss it's easy to see how much they've grown as songwriters and musicians.
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schmackoMOct 3, 2006Well, yes, it's a blatant, kinda-dull play at injecting some ol-fashioned Americana into the band
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GGRangerOct 3, 2006Good Record.
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GaborAOct 3, 2006It's hard to say what direction the killers stepped in considering they started off at terrible and landed in abysmal. As musicians they can be considered psuedo retards. As venture capitalists, however, they are geniuses. Eat this one up too america.
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mattOct 3, 2006See the New York Times and Pop Matters reviews...then remind yourself that Hot Fuss was a near perfect pop album and hope next time around these guys will play to their strengths.
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RichardCOct 3, 2006
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DenOct 3, 2006Much more fun the last time. The killers are best when being clever with a smile, when showing a sense of humor. Sam's Town drowns in self-importance and buckles under the weight of their heros, namely Bruce Springsteen, U2, Morrissey, and Depeche Mode. Better luck next time!
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ShawnMOct 3, 2006I'm a big fan of Hot Fuss, and I love the direction that The Killers took with this album, instrumentally. But Flowers' voice is definitely showing its weakness here. Hard not to recommend, but sometimes hard to listen to.
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elliotOct 30, 2006The critics who trashed this album are dead wrong. It is more complete, nuanced and more consistently good throughout vs Hot Fuss. A more grown up band just having fun. After reading the reviews I hesitated buying it but after listening to the tracks for over a week I am sure this will be a favourite from 2006. The RS review was particularly off...
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JonOct 3, 2006I absolutely love this album. Like it more than the frist album. I think it's more solid start to finish. I hear more U2 than Springsteen or Queen.
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SeanOct 4, 2006This album is terrible. Bruce Springsteen should sue The Killers for damaging his legacy. Wow, just wow.
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BrandonFlowersOct 4, 2006
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C.MickOct 5, 2006I remember when Hot Fuss came out and American Critics Ripped it as an 80's pastiche. Then the Killers became huge and the same critics attempted to leap on the bandwagon at the last minute. This band writes great songs, looks great, girls love them - who cares what the dateless nerds who read pitchfork think
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KatyDOct 5, 2006Impossible to followup a great CD like Hot Fuss but this effort is pretty bad. Listening to most of the songs I think to myself "I would turn the station in a heartbeat if I heard this on the radio." A few songs are okay but overall it's very disappointing.
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JorisOct 6, 2006Brilliant! Bling (Confession of a King) does forget Mr. Brightside immediately. When We Were Young has to be the best single in ages.... Other standout tracks are the growing For Reasons Unknown and My List. Great effort, love the Ziggy Stardust exitlude and it's more consistent than Hot Fuss.
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stephenbOct 6, 2006"hot fuss" was damn near perfect. how did they go so horribly wrong on this album? bye bye simplistic catchy pop hooks. this album sounds like meatloaf and andrew lloyd webber wrote a musical about america. very disappointing.
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MichaelROct 6, 2006
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NojOct 6, 2006
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DrewNOct 7, 2006
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JimSOct 7, 2006I have been a Killers fan since their debut album, and I was always surprised by how poorly their songs are received by critics. This is the best album of the year to date, no questions asked. Sure its short, and maybe it has too many cliches. But there are so many songs which on this album which would make my top 20 of the year, period. Sheer musical brillance.
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ThriftyTOct 9, 2006If you're too cool to listen to any band that plays to more than a club full of people, forget about the Killers' Sam's Town. The sound is big, the production is grandiose, the vocals uplifting, and the hooks are unrelenting. This is a big-time rock album by a big-time rock band.
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DaveTOct 9, 2006i hate Bones, other wise the album has grown on me.
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rpOct 9, 2006Why criticize this album? It is different, not as catchy as hot fuss, but I like it. It is just a more complete album with also more "rock" songs and not only catchy songs.
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JMoSep 28, 2006The cracks are showing on this album...Flowers was obviously hoping that his delicate voice could touch Springsteen or Mercury (Freddie that is) and the simple fact is...it can't. The Killers shoulda stuck with what they knew best.
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sindymFeb 10, 2007I love this album, but it take a couple of listens before individual songs stood out to me. I loved hot fuss and i feel a little sad that they have left that part of their lives behind. I love both albums, but they sound like two different bands. My two favourite bands.
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PalomaM.Jul 9, 2007It took me some time to fully appreciate it, but now it's definitely one of my favourite albums: catchy chorus, good guitars, lyrics with something to say... If I had to point something not so good, maybe I'd say it's a bit "overproduced".
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scottw.Aug 19, 2007They are true pop rockers and this album proves it. An other one thats a must buy for todays rock fans.
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MislavF.Aug 9, 2007I honestly got so tired of the cheese of this album that I turned it off on the last track, not even a full listen.
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KaseyM.Sep 14, 2007
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BenHFeb 20, 2008At first I said "This album is terrible" but the more I listened to it i realized what musical genius it is. It is the best album that has ever been created, it just takes you listening to it ten times to realize it.
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AidanKMar 8, 2008Hot fuss was frustrating and frequently switched between brilliant and rubbish, this one however is a joy from begining to end. A really good effort.
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CamiJJun 23, 2009This CD is rock heaven; I love everything about it. I think it's impossible to find any genuine flaws in both the songs and the band, and it's for that reason that I will support them to the end.
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DeanM.Aug 20, 2009I agree totally with Brandon Flowers, this is possibly the best album of the last 20 years, so far, a fears rival of their first album hot fuss, its yet another great album from the Las Vegas Superstars !
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melissamOct 1, 2006takes a few listens to fully appreciate the album. when you were young, is the best track on the album.
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mattaOct 12, 2006
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CatOct 13, 2006I love the new sound. Just an all together feel good album.
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DaveKOct 15, 2006Emo meets Springsteen with a closed head injury lyrics. Lacks the zeal of Hot Fuss and the updated-retro alternative fun. Sam's sounds clunky, over-dramatic and joyless. The change in sound is unfortunate, a backlash is coming.
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MIchaelFOct 15, 2006Excellent follow up. Anyone who compares this to Hot Fuss needs to actually listen to both albumes. Definite maturation in the lyrics, much more even in tone and sound than the first album. Don't know about aiming too high, but they have acheived a great follow up.
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duncanfOct 16, 2006this cd has what most don't. it has class and it'soriginal unlike most cd's that i have listened too.
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MegakraakOct 16, 2006
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BrianLOct 18, 2006This album is fun, catchy, and motivating. Does that count for anything? Do albums have to be artsy and challenging to get critical support, or can they just be enjoyable. Boy I hate music critics. Don't read the reviews: hear it yourself.
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DukeCOct 2, 2006At first I didn't believe that this album was as good as Hot Fuss. But after about six-seven listens, I now believe think that it is better than Hot Fuss. The only weak songs on the album are "Why Do I Keep Counting" and "Uncle Johnny"; both seem uninspired.
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bbOct 23, 2006
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RichSDec 4, 2006Good CD, different than first one so some may not like it. It has a good variety of songs.
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ameliaOct 25, 2006Loved it. It may not be Hot Fuss and does take 2 or 3 listens to appreciate it but so worth it. Thankyou Mr Flowers for a great album :)
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JohnBOct 3, 2006It's not Hot Fuss, but it's still the quality I expect from them. Definitely hints of the Cure and Simple Minds. Some critics just seem to want to hate on them, taking shots at the song writing and such, but the one thing I think they overlook is that the Killers appeal stems primarily from how they make you feel. I just want to turn it up, sing along, and shift into fifth.
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DenmarkJOct 3, 2006I don't get the reviews that say it is not as good as Hot Fuss. Sure, there is no sequal to Mr. Brightside, and I'll admit that I misssed that at first. But it is such a stronger album track for track, and unlike Hot Fuss, gets strongest toward the end. Thanks Killers!
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drewrOct 3, 2006i love this band and i love this album
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EricWOct 3, 2006Ouch. Watch The Killers crash and burn, blue-collar style.
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SBOct 3, 2006While this album makes me wince at a couple of points, i still can't help but be so stoked. They had me at "When You Were Young".
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ToddWOct 3, 2006
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DarenWixsonOct 3, 2006I just bought the CD on-sale, I'm on track 7, had to see the reviews on Metacritic right-away anticipating a great review! Much Better then the 63 the critics gave! I agree with Mojo "An action-packed blockbuster.", we it grow on you, we'll have to wait and see!
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MattD.Oct 3, 2006Not quite as good as Hot Fuss, but no sophomore slump. The Springsteen/U2 sound, when combined with the Killers' new wave touches, makes Sam's Town more than just a copy. The album's end is a little weak, but by then you've had a fun time.
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BrendanMOct 3, 2006Brilliant
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Awards & Rankings
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UncutThe problem... is that size seems to be used as an excuse for the lack of musical ideas. [Nov 2006, p.102]
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Crucially, Sam's Town sounds like a complete collection, with a far better strike rate than its predecessor.
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It is very good.