The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
16
new
SPILL FEATURE: FAREWELL TO THE EINSTEINS OF CONSCIOUSNESS – A CONVERSATION WITH TORONTO’S UBIQUITOUS SYNERGY SEEKER
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: GRIEVOUS ANGELS – “CHILD OF GOD”
SPILL FEATURE: TEMPLATE – A CONVERSATION WITH CHARLIE ANGUS OF GRIEVOUS ANGELS
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SCOTT KLEIN – “WHAT’S MY NAME”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: SOUTH OF FRANCE – “SIDEWALK”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: HOT LIPS – “FEMICIDE”
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: KATEY MORLEY – HEARTS & HEADS & THOUGHTS & DEEDS
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: LEAHY – “GOOD WATER”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: BILL JR. JR. (A.K.A. VANCOUVER SINGER-SONGWRITER RUSSELL GENDRON) TO RELEASE ‘HOMEBODY’ ON JANUARY 26 | SINGLE “DEAR NEIGHBOUR” OUT NOW
SPILL NEW MUSIC: CAPE TOWN PUNK-DUO THE SOAPGIRLS RELEASE “HEART IN BLOOM” – A LOCKDOWN TRIBUTE TO HOPE AND LOVE
SPILL NEW MUSIC: STRIPPERS UNION RETURN AFTER 10 YEAR HIATUS WITH NEW DOUBLE-LP ‘THE UNDERTAKING’ VIA THE ORCHARD | FIRST SINGLE “WE ARE THE UNDERWORLD” RELEASED
SPILL NEW MUSIC: ROCK HEARTTHROB RICK SPRINGFIELD MEETS CLASSIC ROCK HEROES BADFINGER FOR A SPECIAL NEW SINGLE “LOVE IS GONNA COME AT LAST”
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: THE LUXURIOUS FAUX FURS – LIKE A REAL SHADOW
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: UNMANNED – UNMANNED
  • MORE
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • TOTD
    • Books + Movies
    • Scene Unseen
    • About
REGISTER
@
LOGIN
Album Reviews
2
44
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE CRADLE - LAUGHING IN MY SLEEP
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE WATERBOYS - GOOD LUCK, SEEKER

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE KILLERS – IMPLODING THE MIRAGE

The Killers

The Killers
Imploding The Mirage
Island Records

The highly anticipated sixth studio album by The Killers titledImploding The Mirage was recorded in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Park City Utah, where lead vocalist and writer Brandon Flowers has recently relocated his family. Produced by the band along with Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado of Foxygen, the album is somewhat of a reinvention musically for the band, as 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful, was filled with love songs written for his wife who was suffering from depression. Imploding The Mirage represents moving from dark to light, and to celebration from depression. The album also features a list of guest artists that includes Lindsey Buckingham, D. Laing, Adam Granduciel, War On Drugs’ Wayes Blood, Blake Mills, and Lucius.

The album opens with the anthemic “My Own Soul’s Warning”, an upbeat track that launches the 10-song set nicely, and in which Flowers vocal shines. “Blowback” starts off with an easy rocking beat, and contains an infectious and haunting guitar solo. “Dying Breed” starts off with a stripped-down bottom end (bass and drums) for the first 30 seconds, before Flowers’ vocals kick in, and the song turns into an emotional chugging train, “Baby We’re A Dying Breed”. The anthemic advance first single “Caution”, featuring a guitar solo by Lindsey Buckingham, has been a staple of pop radio all summer long, and is synonymous with the sound that has made the band so successful. The Killers had planned a worldwide stadium tour in support of Imploding The Mirage, and had sold more than 350,000 tickets within hours of them going on sale, including two sold out shows in the UK at London’s 55,000-seat Emirates Stadium. However, ticket buyers will have to wait until at least 2021 to see the band live.

“Lightning Fields” is a duet featuring K.D.Laing and Flowers, although it doesn’t sound like a usual Killers song, with its many identifying signposts. The pairing of two great singers and a  decent song usually makes for a winning combination. “Fire In Bone sounds vaguely reminiscent of David Byrne and Talking Heads, as Flowers dramatically sings, “After all I took from you/After all I put you through“. “Running Toward A Place”, and the ballad that follows it, “My God”, aren’t particularly inspiring. However, the album returns to solid ground with the final two cuts, the synth-driven “When The Dreams Run Dry” and the title cut, “Imploding The Mirage”.

Overall, a solid release, and it’s already been widely reported that the prolific Flowers has already written 50 new songs for The Killers’ next album set for release in June of 2021.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE KILLERS – IMPLODING THE MIRAGE

Author

Gerry Young

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
7.0
7.0
Total Spill Rating
7.0
Total Fan Rating
2 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsimploding the mirageisland recordsthe killers
album review, album reviews, imploding the mirage, island records, the killers
About the Author
Gerry Young
Gerry Young
Gerry Young is President of Current Records and Management, and author of the 2011 biography Pop Goes The Weasel: Rock And Roll Off The Record, available at Indigo/Chapters, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com. He has recorded and managed Juno Award winning bands Martha And The Muffins and The Parachute Club among others.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsimploding the mirage
 
7.0
Regnvm Animale

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER

by Bryan Williston on January 24, 2021
Regnvm Animale Ignis Sacer Deutsche Bulvan Bolag ‘Unchecked growth sees capitalist greed choking democracy, while global temperatures rise at an alarming rate.’ With such a [...]
 
7.0
Rhye

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME

by Robert Defina on January 22, 2021
Rhye Home Last Gang Records Toronto-born Michael Milosh has been able to cultivate something both unique and engaging with Rhye–a sultry, soothing mix of R&B and indie pop which toes the line [...]
 
7.0
Azure Ray

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AZURE RAY – AZURE RAY (20th ANNIVERSARY VINYL EDITION)

by Samantha Stevens on January 16, 2021
Azure Ray Azure Ray (20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition) Flower Moon Records To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their self-titled debut album, Azure Ray has some [...]
 
10
Danielle Durack

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DANIELLE DURACK – NO PLACE

by Nathan Pike on January 15, 2021
Danielle Durack No Place Undertow Music “Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re [...]
 
8.0
Front Line Assembly
5.7

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL

by Trista Whitman on January 15, 2021
Front Line Assembly Mechanical Soul Metropolis Records After over three decades of music from industrial greats Front Line Assembly, they’ve now released their 17th album, [...]
Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER
7.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME
7.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AZURE RAY – AZURE RAY (20th ANNIVERSARY V...
7.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DANIELLE DURACK – NO PLACE
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
8.0
5.7
Latest Live Reviews
View All
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on January 7, 2021
83
 

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: WARDRUNA – ‘KVITRAVN’ PRESENTATION (ONLINE PERFORMANCE)

by Samantha Wu on December 10, 2020
156
 
Evanescence

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: EVANESCENCE @ ROCK FALCON STUDIO, NASHVILLE (TN)

by Melinda Welsh on December 5, 2020
48
 
Alice In Chains

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: MoPOP PRESENTS: ALICE IN CHAINS @ MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE, SEATTLE (WA)

by Gerrod Harris on December 1, 2020
60
 
Lowest Of The Low

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LOWEST OF THE LOW @ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO

by John Graham on November 28, 2020
1296
Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL FEATURE: REMEMBERING LEX GORE: A SPILL MAGAZINE MEMORIAL – TRIBUTE BY SUSANA MEZA
2709
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOHN LENNON – GIMME SOME TRUTH. THE ULTIMATE MIXES
651
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARY HOPKIN – ANOTHER ROAD
594
 
SPILL FEATURE: THAT GOOD OLD FASHIONED RAZZMATAZZ – A CONVERSATION WITH DALLON WEEKES OF I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
589
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT – LIVE AROUND THE WORLD
559
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL McCARTNEY – McCARTNEY III
540
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
507
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALTER BRIDGE – WALK THE SKY 2.0
498
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GUIDED BY VOICES – STYLES WE PAID FOR
476
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JON ANDERSON – 1000 HANDS
468
 
SPILL FEATURE: TO FEEL OUR HUMANITY IN SOLIDARITY – A CONVERSATION WITH NINA HAGEN
446
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CHURCH OF TREES FEAT. CAROLE POPE – “WORLD’S A BITCH”
435
 
SPILL FEATURE: GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME – A CONVERSATION WITH CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA
365
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES