The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It (Lizard King)
UK release date: 2 May 2005
Smile Like You Mean It is yet another single (the 5th, if you include a re-release) to be lifted off the million selling Hot Fuss LP, and presumably is being done to coincide with the zenith of their popularity here in the UK. It also comes almost a year after the album originally hit the shelves, which has to raise a brow of cynicism.
Why on earth are they doing this when Hot Fuss has already been plugged to death and the fact that every Killers fan will almost certainly own the album? This was a great opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Razorlight and put out some new material to reaffirm themselves, but alas.
Nevertheless, if one were to take an objective standpoint, Smile Like You Mean It is probably the best song on a very promising debut, with an excellent, brooding chorus and Brandon Flowers' lazy, nonchalant vocal delivery recalling Morrissey or Robert Smith. The thing is, we all knew this. A message to Flowers and co: Get back into that studio pronto.