Description
The Killers – Pressure Machine – Vinyl Record
Indie Record Store Limited Edition Grey Slipcase
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Released on August 13, 2021, Pressure Machine is The Killers’ seventh studio album, and it stands as one of their most introspective and personal records to date. Departing from the grand, arena-ready sound that the band is famous for, Pressure Machine offers a more subdued and contemplative look at life in small-town America, heavily influenced by lead singer Brandon Flowers’ upbringing in the tiny town of Nephi, Utah.
The album explores themes of isolation, disillusionment, and nostalgia, set against the backdrop of the American heartland. With a sound steeped in Americana, folk, and heartland rock, Pressure Machine feels more intimate than The Killers’ previous albums, offering vivid storytelling and a slower, more reflective pace. It draws inspiration from iconic storytellers like Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan, while delving into the quieter, often overlooked aspects of life in rural America.
Pressure Machine was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic when the world came to a standstill. Without the demands of touring, Flowers found himself reflecting on his childhood in Nephi, a town with a population of just a few thousand people. Many of the stories and characters on the album are drawn directly from his memories and experiences growing up in this isolated, rural setting.
In interviews, Flowers mentioned that much of the material on the album was inspired by his desire to revisit the small-town environment where he spent his formative years, a place often defined by economic struggle, religious conservatism, and a sense of confinement. The themes of the album capture the complex emotions associated with this kind of environment: a mixture of nostalgia, love, frustration, and pain.
Musically, Pressure Machine marks a significant departure from The Killers’ signature bombastic sound. Known for their synth-driven, arena rock anthems like “Mr. Brightside” and “When You Were Young,” The Killers strip back the layers on this record, opting for a more intimate and raw sound that embraces folk, country, and Americana influences.
Many of the songs on Pressure Machine rely on acoustic guitars, harmonicas, and string arrangements, creating a soundscape that is more organic and restrained than the band’s usual polished production. This simplicity allows Flowers’ lyrics and storytelling to take center stage, bringing the listener closer to the emotional core of the album.
Produced by Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado (of Foxygen), the album’s production is purposefully minimalist. The use of ambient sounds and field recordings—such as the hum of trains, chirping crickets, and snippets of conversations with townspeople—adds a cinematic quality to the record, grounding the songs in a specific time and place.
Drawing from the tradition of folk-rock storytellers like Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska (1982) or Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964), Pressure Machine has a narrative-driven approach that places more emphasis on mood and message than on grand, anthemic choruses.
Pressure Machine is a deeply thematic album that explores the contradictions and complexities of small-town life, touching on issues such as poverty, addiction, faith, and the feeling of being stuck in a place where opportunities are limited.
Flowers reflects on his own upbringing, imbuing the songs with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. Tracks like “Quiet Town” and “Runaway Horses” (featuring Phoebe Bridgers) recall the innocence and simplicity of childhood, but also acknowledge the darker realities lurking beneath the surface, such as economic hardship and tragic accidents.
Songs like “Terrible Thing” and “Desperate Things” delve into the emotional toll of living in a place where opportunities are scarce, and dreams are often crushed by the weight of reality. “Terrible Thing” deals with the harrowing subject of teenage suicide, while “Desperate Things” tells the story of a tragic, illicit affair in a small town. As with much of Flowers’ work, religion and faith play significant roles on Pressure Machine. In “Cody” and “In the Car Outside,” there’s a palpable sense of wrestling with the expectations of religious communities and the gap between faith and real-life struggles.
Notable Tracks
“Quiet Town”: One of the more upbeat tracks on the album, “Quiet Town” tells the story of life in a small town where tragedy and resilience coexist. The song references a real-life train accident that took the lives of two local teens, underscoring the fragility of life in a place where everyone knows everyone. Musically, the song blends folk-rock and Americana with a Springsteen-like quality.
“Runaway Horses” (feat. Phoebe Bridgers): A beautifully melancholic duet with indie-folk artist Phoebe Bridgers, “Runaway Horses” explores the theme of lost innocence and the yearning to escape from the confines of a small town. Bridgers’ ethereal vocals complement Flowers’ storytelling, creating a haunting and emotionally charged atmosphere.
“Terrible Thing”: This heart-wrenching ballad addresses the topic of teenage suicide, framed within the context of small-town isolation and pressure. The acoustic guitar and minimal instrumentation underscore the song’s stark, tragic narrative, making it one of the album’s most powerful and poignant tracks.
“Desperate Things”: A slow-burning narrative about infidelity and violence, “Desperate Things” features a detailed, cinematic storytelling style. The song gradually builds tension, with Flowers narrating a doomed love affair in a small town that ends in devastating consequences.
“The Getting By”: The closing track, “The Getting By,” encapsulates the themes of perseverance and endurance. It’s about the everyday struggle of making it through life’s challenges, even when circumstances feel overwhelming. The song’s acoustic, almost hymn-like quality leaves the album on a note of resilience, despite the hardships explored throughout.
Pressure Machine received widespread critical acclaim for its bold departure from The Killers’ usual sound and for its deeply personal, narrative-driven songwriting. Critics praised the album’s maturity and restraint, noting that it showed a different side of The Killers—one that was more introspective and reflective.
Many reviewers compared the album to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska or The Ghost of Tom Joad albums, highlighting how Flowers was tapping into the tradition of American heartland rock and folk to tell stories about everyday people in small towns. The collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers on “Runaway Horses” was also widely praised, adding a contemporary folk element to the album’s Americana roots.
For long-time fans of The Killers, Pressure Machine may have been a surprise given its quieter, more contemplative nature, but it demonstrated the band’s ability to evolve and tackle new creative challenges.
Pressure Machine is a powerful, introspective work that shows The Killers at their most vulnerable and reflective. By exploring the complexities of small-town life through a deeply personal lens, the album transcends typical rock conventions and offers a rich, emotional journey steeped in Americana and folk tradition.
For listeners expecting the big anthems of Hot Fuss or Sam’s Town, Pressure Machine offers something different: a subtle, nuanced collection of songs that prioritizes storytelling and emotional depth over arena-ready choruses. It’s a record that invites reflection and reveals more with each listen, making it one of The Killers’ most compelling and mature albums to date.
Track Listing
West Hills
Quiet Town
Terrible Thing
Cody
Sleepwalker
Runaway Horses Featuring – Phoebe Bridgers
In The Car Outside
In Another Life
Desperate Things
Pressure Machine
The Getting By
