The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall

The smoothest way to prematurely issue a greatest-hits collection is to record a live album, and that’s what The Killers have done with Live From The Royal Albert Hall, a two-disc set made up of a DVD and a corresponding CD that omits banter and a handful of songs. Captured during two nights this past July in front of London audiences that can only be described as fanatical (and, the documentary portion of the DVD points out, who came from all over the world for the recording), this album proves what those followers have known for a while: Instead of remaining the four-hit wonder the band initially appeared to be, The Killers wove into pop music’s fabric over the course of three albums. Whether the cuts are deep or ended up on the charts, they all sound like hits here, from “All These Things That I’ve Done” to “Bling (Confession Of A King)” to a stripped-down take on “Sam’s Town.” And while singer Brandon Flowers can come across as stiff onstage as he fails to reach to the pop perfection concocted in the studio, something about the package feels complete—these guys from Vegas wanted to be rock stars, they became rock stars, and now they’re enjoying the limelight. And as long as they keep making their songs big and their hooks sharp—newer singles like “Human” and “Spaceman” hold up just fine alongside “Mr. Brightside”—they’ll be putting out that proper greatest-hits album soon enough.