Sam's Town by Killers (00s) (The) (CD, Oct-2006, Island Records USA)

Sometimes more is better—and that's certainly the case with "Sam's Town," an album that dashes any fears, or dare I say expectations, of a sophomore slump. The Las Vegas boys still proudly wears their British New Wave influences on its sleeve. But they're presented in a manner that's stylistically undated and given their own character by Brandon Flowers keening vocals and the interplay between his keyboards and Dave Keuning's versatile guitar work. Produced by Flood and Alan Moulder, "Sam's Town" is a sophisticated sonic metropolis whose best songs—the title track.