The Killers: Battle Born (2LP) [ISLAND]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set is cut at 45 RPM and packaged in a gatefold jacket with printed lyric inner sleeves. Battle Born went to No. 1 in the UK, and "Runaways" and "Miss Atomic Bomb" sit with the band's biggest anthems.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Cut at 45 RPM
• Gatefold jacket
• Printed lyric inner sleeves
• 180g vinyl
• Poster included
• Stereo mix

About the album

The words "Battle Born" are on the Nevada state flag, and they're also the name of The Killers' own studio in Las Vegas, where they made most of this record after a long break that saw Brandon Flowers, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. all try solo and side projects. They came back thinking bigger than ever.

Five producers had a hand in it: Steve Lillywhite, Damian Taylor, Brendan O'Brien, Stuart Price and Daniel Lanois. "Runaways" is pure widescreen Americana with a Springsteen-sized chorus, "Miss Atomic Bomb" glows with neon nostalgia, "Flesh And Bone" opens with a boxer's swagger, and "Here With Me" and "The Way It Was" are big-hearted ballads. The closing title track goes for broke.

It's a desert-highway record, made for long drives with the windows down. Five producers on one album is a lot of cooks, though on this evidence the kitchen coped admirably.

Also at Kops: more The Killers on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Island (cat# B0017296-01), the 2012 album.