The Man is a powerful and anthemic track that draws on every single element of The Killers’ sound with a sheen of Bowie tinged funk holding it together. The Killers avoid the trap of sounding like a novelty act here, using New Wave and Funk elements to create something that sounds modern and clean with old school roots. This track sounds like what Panic Station by Muse would sound like if it were produced by Daft Punk.
The lyrics are very straightforward, knowing the situation and objectively stating that he is The Man, second only to God. While this track is destined to be an uplifting jam, it’s actually written from the somewhat unhealthily arrogant personality of lead singer Brandon Flowers in the band’s early days. Despite the self deprecation associated with the lyrics, Flowers does a brilliant job of selling the song’s boisterous confidence.
Aside from the amazing lyrics that blur the line between awesome and cheesy, this track has gorgeous instrumentals throughout. While the obvious stars are the bass and drums the guitar work is top notch, including two mini solos and the constant rhythm playing on the verses. Similarly the synths and keyboard elements wrap around the song giving it the glossy sheen of New Wave that makes this track sound so amazing. The production is flawless, giving just the right amount of space to each element of this really thick sounding track.
There is really nothing about this track that I don’t adore, as far as I’m concerned this is a masterpiece of how to write a Rock track with crossover appeal in 2017. It would be nice to see The Killer step back into the same mainstream consciousness that Imagine Dragons and Portugal The Man currently are in.
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