The Killers
Sawdust
Island



'Hot Fuss' is still an awesome album for me - Jenny was a friend of mine as well, believe me. But don't worry, she's not forgotten on their newest release, this collection of B-Sides and rarities (Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf). Sawdust is an impressive collection of (for the most part) previously unreleased songs that have been recorded from the present spanning right back to 2002.

From the first time I put the disc on in my car, I knew there was something unusual about what I was hearing. I hadn't even got to track two and I was rewinding to find out what was eating away at me. It was apparent that the voice coming out of the speakers wasn't The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers. It sounded like the overconfident, relaxed and oh-so casual story telling voice of Lou Reed. Lou Reed agreeing to collaborate with a relatively new band like The Killers? Lou Reed agreeing to do anything? It turns out that's exactly what Lou Reed has done, and be assured that he dominates and makes the song his own. His contribution makes Tranquilize by far the most striking and impressive track that appears in the collection.

With albums of B-Sides and rarities, it's always interesting to hear the songs the band choose to cover. In this case there are two, the first being the Kenny Loggins tune (penned by M. Tillis), Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town. Without having even heard the original, it's evident that The Killers stick pretty close to it, with Bob Dylan's influence hardly difficult to pick.

The other cover concerned me at first because there are some songs that just shouldn't be touched, Dire Straits' Romeo And Juliet being one of those. On the first run through it certainly seemed like a bad move, but then a few subtleties came through, making it apparent that the band have in fact made the track their own. They did so by simplifying it, making it very bass heavy and keeping a sparse musical arrangement.

The rest of the CD plays just like a regular release from The Killers, but with more musical diversity both in style and quality, and also includes a remix of Mr. Brightside. If you like The Killers, you probably already own it. Otherwise buy it, if for no other reason than to hear Lou Reed sounding absolutely awesome.

Sam Vinall