Reviews: The Killers, and Ashnikko (featuring Ethel Cain) release new singles

Friday is normally the day the latest from the greatest (and some terrible) artists arrive. Used to be Tuesday, but then record companies found a way to make more money off of Friday releases. So here we are. This Friday, we get a new LP from Ashnikko (Weedkiller) and a new single from the Killers.

The Killers have released more singles in the last two years than albums. That would be two. Their last full-length record was Pressure Machine which came in 2021. They released the single, "Boy," in 2022. That song wasn't part of the Pressure Machine recording sessions. The single released Friday, "Your Side of Town," was.

"Your Side of Town" was teased by the band on Twitter (or X or whatever) as a more synth-driven song that the band has been inspired by over the years. Basically maybe some akin to the songs from the Killers debut record, Hot Fuss. Is it?

The Killers, and Ashnikko with help from Ethel Cain, release singles on Friday

Well, "Your Side of Town" is definitely synth-driven. If you like your Killers songs to sound like the early 1980s, you'll love this track. But the song also sounds massively derivative of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle." In fact, as "Your Side of Town" seems somewhat empty the band might have just been better releasing a cover of the New Order song.

Ashnikko's new album overall is excellent, and this continues for the record's closer, "Dying Star." The track features the excellent Ethel Cain, and that heightens an already fantastic song.

"Dying Star" sounds much more like a classic Ethel Cain tune with its somberness boiling just below the rage. But Ashnikko pulls it off well and Cain's backing vocals are riveting. The track makes for a slightly odd ending to the album as it might leave the listener wondering what happens next, but for that, you will just have to wait for the next Ashnikko record. Or maybe the next Ethel Cain album.

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