The Killers Instinct

OVER THE COURSE of 50 years, many diverse faiths and cultures have been cordially invited to merge into the creative melting pot of popular music. Yet Mormonism - the religious sect that was founded in the backwaters of America more than 170 years ago - has never really been one of them. In the early 1970s, there were the Osmonds, of course, but who can look back on their spate of hits with anything but mild embarrassment? More recently, Arthur "Killer" Kane, the New York Dolls' bass player, converted to the faith after many years lost in an alcoholic haze.

But now a new musical emissary has arisen to spread the Mormon message to the rock-consuming masses. Sam's Town, the second album by the Killers, from Las Vegas, is an alluring collection of ambitious anthem-rock originals pitched in a style mid-way between Bowiesque arch theatricality and Springsteen-style heart-on-sleeve sincerity, which also handily doubles as the world's first Mormon rock concept album.

Actually, the group's leader and main songwriter, Brandon Flowers, is more comfortable with the phrase "spiritual autobiography" when talking about the new album. That is partly in deference to the three other members of his group, none of whom share his religious upbringing and all of whom look distinctly uncomfortable whenever the subject is mentioned. "We're all very different personalities," says bassist Mark Stoermer. "Brandon's the only Mormon among us, but he keeps it personal. It's an influence on his life so it comes through in his lyrics sometimes, but not in an overt or preachy way."

But Flowers is quick to attest to his faith: "I can't ever escape my Mormon roots ... On the single When You Were Young, there's a line I sing, 'He doesn't look a thing like Jesus.' That's about growing up in a religion where Jesus is considered a saviour and also realising people can be saviours, too, whether they're your wife, your best friend or your next-door neighbour."

While Flowers - looking tired but trim in black denim and a Rolling Stones T-shirt - discusses matters of a spiritual nature in a room above a cavernous TV studio in Paris, matters of strict commerce once again dominate his group's work schedule. They are at the tail-end of an exhausting European promo slog for Sam's Town before heading to Australia to tour this month.

The other members - Stoermer, drummer Ronnie Vannucci and guitarist Dave Keuning - are already lurking around the arty set, instruments in hand. Everyone is friendly and professional. The Killers, after all, are deeply ambitious and media-savvy enough to know how to sell records in the new millennium, though Flowers is worried that the time devoted to promotion and touring schedules means there's little chance he'll ever be as prolific as his heroes once were. "The Smiths released two albums a years, plus singles and fresh B-sides - that's just incredible to me," he laments.

Nick Kent.