You might’ve been noticing conversations around The Killers all over your timeline this past week, in response to a recent performance by Brandon Flowers on Jimmy Fallon to promote his new album THRASHER. His live rendition of album closer “An American Dream” is bombastic and sincere in a way that reminds me of one of the great late-night musical performances of the past two decades, Future Islands on David Letterman.
There’s no doubt that part of the positive reception to the track is due to the song’s thematic content, its many allusions to Americana motifs, a Christian God and distinctly American inventions like Elvis and Tesla cars. Despite The Killers continuing to pack stadiums 20 years into their careers (and selling more albums than The Strokes ever did, believe it or not), some people online seem to believe that Flowers never became as famous as he should’ve been because of music industry DEI. Even conservative outlets like The National Review have chimed in on the performance and its riveting qualities, despite its writers explicitly stating they haven’t listened to The Killers since Hot Fuss.
How Do We Know The Strokes Won? You’re Wearing Their T-Shirt.
Steven Hyden, author of a new book about the band, talks about their everlasting appeal — even if they didn’t save rock ‘n’ rollThe inclination to attribute a patriotic significance to the performance and song might have to do with some recent trends in American music and culture. In case you missed it, Southern culture has taken over America. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is now the longest-running No. 1 single in U.S. history, Morgan Wallen is selling out stadiums, and rap and R&B are on the decline, despite how much popular country music these days cribs from those genres. Just look at the features on a BigXthePlug album.
What seems to be missing in all of this, however, is the kind of dramatic, literary songwriting full of images you might find in a Cormac McCarthy novel. Though it might not be Flowers’ intent, “An American Dream” is the exact kind of song that would lend itself to that interpretation. The lyrics evoke driving along the endless desert highways of his home state Nevada, and the introspective lines about Elvis, fame and crying about his daughter Lisa Marie are earnest and blunt enough to make your father choke up a bit. What all this tells me is that men out there long for the male version of Lana Del Rey. I don’t think it’s Brandon Flowers, but hopefully they’ll find their Americana star soon enough.
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