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The Las Vegas four piece - Brandon Flowers (vocals/keyboards), Dave Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass) and Ronnie Vannucci (drums) - have already established a formidable reputation for their ability to pen stunning pop epics such as Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me, which appeared on their first album Hot Fuss.

Their third album opens with Losing Touch, which begins with some splendidly retro horns before giving way to a trademark chunky guitar riff.

The single Human is classic Killers pushed along by some scintillating synths. Some of the sniffier critics might turn their noses up at it, but probably only because it's so catchy they can't get it out of their heads.

Spaceman and A Dustland Fairytale boast killer melodies, with the later showing they haven't totally got Springsteen's influence out of their system.

Elsewhere there are clues to other inspirations – the arty glam of Bowie and Roxy Music here, the pop majesty of McCartney and E.L.O. there.

But the end result is unmistakably and uniquely The Killers.

And the band are still prepared to push their own boundaries and the closing Goodnight, Travel Well is an intense, funereal epic.

They have become one of pop's juggernaut and this album is not going to slow down their progress.

9 out of 10

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Elsewhere online:
Listen to tracks from Day & Age at Last.fm.

NME review.

Uncut magazine review.

The Sunday Times review.

The Killers official site.

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