The Killers' fourth album cover

When you think of Vegas, images of high-end casinos, little white wedding chapels, scorching heat, and Elvis impersonators may conjure in your head.

If you were to ask alternative music enthusiasts, they would say The Killers.

With their catchy lyrics and unique vocals, The Killers first emerged in 2004 with an indie-rock album, "Hot Fuss." Immediately, listeners were captivated by a new sound the band produced. “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” took the airwaves by storm, gaining faithful followers (which they call “The Victims”) and Grammy nominations.

"Sam’s Town" built upon those foundations and made for a great sophomore album, whereas "Day and Age" completely strayed off-track with a pop-synthetic mess. 

The band took a few years off—lead singer Brandon Flowers released "Flamingo," and the rest of the band focused on family and music as well.

When "Battle Born" was announced, fans could not wait to hear what would come from a four year hiatus.

All Killers albums have a distinct sound. Would the new one sound innovative with distinctive guitar rifts like in "Hot Fuss"? Or personify the 80’s Americana rock of "Sam’s Town"? Perhaps, it would sound like electronica-gone-wrong in "Day and Age."

Surprisingly, "Battle Born" sounds as if all three albums blended together impeccably.

Going back to their roots, The Killers looked towards one thing when writing "Battle Born"—Las Vegas. The city that bred the band remains an inspiration to them today.

Flowers said in an interview that the city was a place where dreams are born, and he ran with that statement. In fact, the title of the album is a phrase on the Nevada state flag (as well as their own studio). 

Opening with one of the more powerful tracks on the album, “Flesh and Bone” reminds us of the “flag that bears the name ‘Battle Born,’” as well as how much The Killers were missed during the past four years.

“Runaways,” the first single, is a strong, but predictable, song. It sounds as if they took one of their b-slides and changed the lyrics. The song builds and builds and never reaches its full potential to engage listeners. 

Unlike previous albums, there are quite a few ballads on "Battle Born." Begging for previous days with former loves, “The Way It Was”, “Be Still,” and “Here With Me” are all yearning love songs that only work because it’s Brandon Flowers singing them.

Both “A Matter of Time” and “Deadlines and Committments” are catchy, alternative songs that almost complete the previous ballads because they essentially say that due to “the wreckage of broken dreams,” it’s time to move on. 

“Miss Atomic Bomb” and “The Rising Tide” are very "Day and Age" because they are fun, quirky songs. “Bomb” is actually about when people who lived in Las Vegas in the 50’s would throw parties and watch nuclear bombs being tested out in the desert. 

“Heart of a Girl” is a sincere track in which Flowers mentions how he met his wife (cue the "aww"). This, and many of the other songs, draw Springsteen, 80’s comparison because of the heavy vocal emphasis and guitar emphasis. 

“From Here on Out” is completely different from any Killers we’ve heard before—it’s folk. Similar to Mumford and Sons, the song is distinctly country-rock and it's ultimately a fun song, bringing versatility to "Battle Born."

The album encompasses every bit of hard work it took to make in the closing song, fittingly titled “Battle Born.” Just like past works, such as “When You Were Young” or “All These Things That I’ve Done,” “Battle Born” looks to be a definitive track in The Killers repertoire. The lyrics spark a fight in the listener, to never give up no matter how many times “they knock you down.” 

“Victims” will enjoy the album either because they find moments that remind them of one of their favorite Killers songs, or perhaps because they realize the brilliance of Flowers and appreciate his remarkable musical talents. Either way, "Battle Born" is a quality album that should be appreciated by all music fans.

The Killers are playing at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood on 9/26.

Reach Jillian Morabito here.