Jumping on the '80s new-wave-revival bandwagon of the early '00s, The Killers [ tickets ] first full-length, "Hot Fuss," was rife with the by-the-numbers Duran Duran-cum-Las Vegas nuggets that both built an audience and super-shifted units. That, in the music business, is called a "win."

While never accused of pushing the envelope artistically, The Killers did hold their own with similar contenders, churning out the alt-radio-ready staples “Mr. Brightside” and “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.”

Things have changed with "Sam's Town," and very well may leave the group's audience scratching their heads and wondering, "What happened?" Gone is the veiled copping of the styles and sounds of the '80s new-wave giants, and in their place is a veiled copping of the styles and sounds of '80s Bruce Springsteen. Quite a stylistic leap.

In the band's defense, it does manage to milk the Springsteen canon almost as well as it milked new-wave on "Hot Fuss," but such a drastic switch leaves one questioning the band's sincerity.

My advice: try it before you buy it.