More Pedestrian Than Civilian
Boy Kill Boy essentially harness The Killers' electro-tinged energetic rock sound and add in their own darker and tenser theatrics. Previous single, 'Back Again' kicks off the album in fine style with looming guitars, sheer sheets of synth excitement and vehement vocals.
'On And On' has a Britpop kick in its honest lyrics and bright chorus while 'Suzie' proved its worth as a single and adds a welcome swinging temp perfect for dancing. Unfortunately there seem to be few other deviations from the band's tried and tested glorified emo style, which moulds a mixture tense and jangly electronica and bright guitars below euphoric vocals. A lot of the album seems to therefore descend into a haze of golden hooks, which are great but not dissimilar enough to point out the difference in tracks; poor old 'Six Minutes' and 'On My Own' definitely pay this price, while cutesy 'Ivy Parker' drags, lacking the killer power behind.
'Civil Sin' picks up the pace with an anxious atmosphere of confusion created by whirlwind keyboards, pulsing percussion and aching vocal cries; this is definitely one of the finest tracks and it sets jerky 'Killer' off perfectly. 'Friday-Friday' is a breakneck number with raw urban vocals spread over the typical electronic rampage like The Ordinary Boys plugged into an electric socket. 'Shoot Me Down' is a luscious careening ballad, bringing the whole thing to a slightly sorrowful close.
There are some definite high points on this album, which deserve to see the lights of the dancefloor, but there's also an awful lot of material, which lacks character and pizzazz. That's not to say that fans won't love it, but it simple doesn't offer anything new and lets down the few defining anthems.