The Killers - Day & Age

The Killers swapped desert dust for neon and saxophone on Day & Age, a 2008 album presented here on 180 gram vinyl.

Their third studio album was produced with Stuart Price, whom the band knew mainly from his remixes, and much of it was made at their own Battle Born Studios in Las Vegas. Brandon Flowers called it the band's most playful record, and that loosened-up spirit carried it straight to number one in the UK.

The singles are huge. "Human" turned a cryptic question into one of the most debated choruses of its decade, "Spaceman" bounces with sci-fi abandon, and "A Dustland Fairytale" is a sweeping, Springsteen-sized ballad drawn from the story of Flowers' parents.

Opener "Losing Touch" sets the tone with brassy swagger, and Price's glossy production threads synths, horns and even steel drums through songs that keep the band's trademark grandeur. Ronnie Vannucci's drumming drives it all with real muscle, while Dave Keuning's guitar adds bright, chiming colour around the edges.

It is the moment The Killers proved they could follow their heartland phase with something brighter and stranger without losing their sense of drama. Big, bold and unashamedly theatrical, it still sounds like Las Vegas at midnight, all lights, longing and a little bit of mischief.