The Killers have been in a bit of a rut lately. It’s been a decade and a half since their biggest hits and yet those songs are the ones we remember. Not that we automatically compare their new stuff to the likes of “Mr. Brightside” or “Somebody Told Me” but it’s there, hovering around, reminding us of what is out there. Wonderful Wonderful is that all over again. You know they’re trying, and they’re trying hard. There are glimpses of the crazy across the record – perhaps more so, but without the throw-everything-and-see-what-sticks feel. (“USDA, certified lean” on “The Man” still grabs me despite repeated listens.) And yet it all feels like territory we’ve been on before, and it’s not as exciting as it used to be. But they’re trying really hard. There’s the sense that they’re hoping something, anything, will claim even half of the anthemic status of their most iconic work. Me, if they didn’t try so hard Wonderful Wonderful would feel effortless; instead it’s weighed down by their own expectation. [NB] | 3/5
