Hot Fuss by Killers (00s) (The) (CD, Jun-2004, Island Records USA)

If you love the '80s, you will love The Killers. That doesn't mean that the band's major label debut sounds dated. It's fresh. It's cutting. But it is also retro in the most flattering of ways, paying homage to many of the great artists of a happy-go-lucky era long gone by.

You will undoubtedly feel the Tears for Fears influence on "All These things That I've Done" just as "On Top" has a refreshing Robert Smith aftertaste and I'll buy this CD back from you if "Believe Me Natalie" isn't channeling Morrissey.

The most amazing thing about Hot Fuss is that it's a throwback CD that stands the test of time. These songs feel right on the radio today yet they could have also transcended through time and sounded great on vinyl in the 1980s. This is testament to the brilliance of a band that borrows it's name from a fictional band in a New Order video (yes, another influence that shines throughout the record, though mostly from a Joy Division perspective).

Well-crafted songs with hooks aplenty and offbeat lyrics help hammer this vital CD home. It just works. The layered synth tones, that bring back hints of everything from Duran Duran to The Cars, never soften the brash guitar-driven melodies. It's a lot like what Linkin' Park or Stabbing Westward did to hard rock, The Killers is doing to new wave. Hot Fuss? Yes, there is truth in advertising.