Islands

After conquering the charts with the electro-pop of Hot Fuss and polarizing critics with the epic Americana of Sam’s Town, the Las Vegas rockers return with a third album that adeptly synthesizes the disco bombast and rustic sweep of its respective predecessors. It may be hard to take Brandon Flowers seriously on “Joy Ride”, when he so desperately labors to mimic Bruce Springsteen, crooning about “rattlesnakes of romance” that frolic in the rain. Yet on standouts “Losing Touch” and “Spaceman”, the futuristic synths and guitars and funky bass and brass lines fuse to ignite an unforgettable fire.