The Killers: C’est La Vie Single Review
After such a short time, we’re already hearing about new Killers’ material, and naturally, I would not be excited for it. But “C’est La Vie” hid a few tricks up its sleeve that I was not prepared for.
Didn’t we just do this?
Imploding the Mirage only came out about four months ago, and we’re already hearing about a new album? Is it safe to say that Brendan Flowers must be really bored in quarantine?
So we’re already getting new Killers music shoved down our throats after the last album. “C’est La Vie”: a quirky, upbeat, French tune that is characterized by its weird instruments structured upon a piano riff. Flashing back to a recent experience with a French pop singer and my prior-mentioned lukewarm review of The Killers’ last album, it should be obvious that I would harbor a strong distaste for this latest single.
And yet, I don’t.
The song is weird. It is forward and the vocals and other individual elements are so much more in-focus than any of the sounds we have heard from Flowers. Long past are the times of “Andy, You’re a Star” and “Somebody Told Me” with the distorted vocals and guitar riffs; lately, the band seems to be taking more of an Arcade Fire-turn in their songwriting. And I am all up for it.
As I have previously mentioned that cinematic music has never been a favorite of mine, most probably contributing to my disdain of Imploding the Mirage. I can’t say that the song is the greatest I have heard all year, nor can I call it an amazing Killers track (I physically recoil each time I hear Flowers’ abhorrent mispronunciation of “Shih Tzu”), but I am all up for the weirdness of it all. I was expecting another cinematic, deeply buried sound like what was given to us on Imploding the Mirage, and I was happily surprised by what I got.
The “do-do-do-bas” of the song are sweet as candy – fitting for such a whimsical tune – and the piano complimented the bouncy, innocent lyrics as the basic instrument that we were all introduced to as children. The eccentric and interesting choice in instruments also added to a sense of childish wonder and discovery, which fit with the French title of “Such is life.”
The song could have ended better. The female’s “C’est la vie” was loud and a bit startling, and the song kind of petered out before abruptly ending, as if Flowers decided that the song he had written was too short, but he couldn’t come up with a better way to extend it. I hate to bring this criticism back to the table for the third time, but again: the song is desperately missing a bridge. Seems to a theme for the new year.
Overall, although I can’t say I’ll come back to the track too many times after this review, I enjoyed the unexpected surprise that was “C’est La Vie.” It’s a simple track that capsulated the innocence of a child and the essence of life in a 3 minute tune. And this is what we are left with at the end of the day: the hope that The Killers’ next album will continue to surprise us as we see more songs unveiled.
Rating: 3/5
