1. My Own Souls Warning - First of all it's very welcome to be hearing CD quality rips of this music instead of streaming service compression, thank FUCK music trackers still exist. I've heard this song already-- not in the context of the album but, here we go. The first thing I thought when I heard this was holy shit it's just the war on drugs, then I found out the war on drugs producer produced this track. It's that kind of overblown, sort of high passy sound. Once you hear it you know it. The drums come from another dimension. I didn't like this song at first, but it's good. It's better than basically anything on Wonderful Wonderful. That album does a really good first listen but almost all those songs are throwaway trash. To me, this is about Day & Age tier. It feels like The Killers before it was all Brandon Flowers.

2. Blowback - Immediately love the synth line. This is funky, but it gives way pretty quick to a more acoustic thing. This sounds like a Brandon Flowers track-- maybe would have followed Crossfire on the tracklist. This is alright. The guitar is nice, don't know who's playing it on this track since their guitarist is still off writing pretty good music on his own. This is nice but I don't particularly love it right away. It's not offensive or anything. I like this choral thing at the end. Songs okay. 

3. Dying Breed - I've been playing the shit out of this since they released it a week ago. This to me feels like a good old fashioned Killers song man. There's no fucking around, no ballad bullshit, once the chorus really hits it is OOOOOOOOOOOOFH. I also really like the backmasking and the weird echoey stuff in the production. It just builds and builds and then it takes the hell off. "There's gonna be opposotion, but we got everything we need. Baby, we're a dying breed.... FROM THE COVETED TOUCH OF A GIRL IN LOVE". The synths in this track feel like home man. I love this song. Someone online said this was "Too Springsteen" but that's when this band is at their best imo so fuck you this song is good.

4. Caution - I listened to this a few times when it came out and then just shrugged it off. As a first single they've definitely done worse. They always pick terrible singles. I liked the title track to Wonderful Wonderful but as a single on contemporary American radio what the fuck are you doing. This felt like a Brandon Flowers song, but then it sort of gives way to "A robot made a late era Killers song." This is better than Blowback tbh but I've been listening to basically every other single more than this one. However, because my tastes are confirmed weird tier, it's been on the charts since it came out and even hit like #3 or something like that. People love it! It's fine. There's just nothing about it for me to really hang onto, except for the bridge. "It's some kind of a sin, to live your whole life, on a might have been." I like that line. Love that line. The outro is good too, but thats because it's Lindsey fucking Buckingham. 

5. Lightning Fields - Feels like it comes off a cassette tape you found in your first car. Brandon actually singing not at the height of his range for the first time in 20 years. I still can't believe this is the same band that did Believe Me Natalie sometimes. Oh, this is the song that has k d lang on it. Her part is really good!! I really like this song but I need to listen to it some more, I feel like there's a lot going on in here I can't get a hold of on the first listen. It sounds really unique so I'm into it.

6. Fire In Bone - I love this shit. This song rules. The first time I heard it I was like YO this is them pretending to be middle era Talking Heads. But fuck that this song is just good dude. Mark is also playing the best bass line in the whole catalog or at least his best bass since like Day & Age. I love the lyrics, I love the whole damn song. "When I came back empty handed, you were waiting in the road, and you fell on my neck, and you took me back home." The drums are good-- the whole song is just dancing away. I love all the weird shit in it. I like the line "I felt weird sin." I like the warble on "TEMPEST TOSSED AND SEA-- SICK--". If there's nothing else as good as this on the album I'm fine for having this track, seriously. This is my favorite piece of music from them since Battle Born and Desired Effect.

7. Running Towards a Place - HELLO. What is this now. This thing starts wild. Huh. I like these little riffs. The guitar is fun in this. I like this. Dude, this bridge. I think this is another good one. I want to listen to this again right away. Let's come back to this one. 

8. My God - I was scared this would be the shitty bad ballad on this album but HEY NOW there's a BEAT here. What the fuck this is good! It's not shitty at all!! What the fuck I love this instantly. THE BASS LINE. This sounds like an ABBA track what the fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk this is gooooooooooooooooooooood ahghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I LOVE THIS. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

9. When The Dreams Run Dry - GONNA BE A HARD FOLLOW UP TO MY GOD HERE BUD. They said, nah, let's slow it down, let's just relax a little. Boy this just got big. This reminds me of "Have all the songs been written" right away but with better production. I liked that song btw but I never listen to it. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!" lmao okay man this is my kinda thing. Brandon Flowers is such a weird dude. Oh, alright, there's a new gear. This song has had like 3 tempo changes already dog keep it going. I'm really ready for him to stop writing songs about his wife and mom some day but if this caps off the thing I'm down. This feels like lyrics to a Polaris song "and again and again". You know what this is cool. It doesn't tap directly into my seratonin like My God did but I think I'm gonna be coming back to this. 

10. Imploding The Mirage - Been wondering what this would be like. Not what I expected so far! Usually they put some bombastic crazy shit at the end, that or just something they never play live. This ALSO feels like an ABBA song to me, maybe it's the lively piano. This is activating the part of my brain that likes things. I don't trust it lol. This doesn't speak to my VERY SOUL like their best music does but this is dope. The tone of this is so light and bright, totally off from Wonderful Wonderful's horror soaked vibe. Well!


The back half of this album from Fire in Bone on is just one think I like after another. 

First Impressions -

Best Songs: Fire In Bone, My God, Imploding The Mirage

Worst Songs: Caution, Blowback