The follow-up album to a highly successful debut is always an iffy proposition.

Sam’s Town, the second album from Las Vegas natives The Killers, tries to live up to 2004’s Hot Fuss.

But the album doesn’t quite get there.

With the album, The Killers depart a little from their danceable debut and channel Bruce Springsteen.

The opening track is the closest imitation to Hot Fuss – but that’s all it is, an imitation.

The first single, “When You Were Young,” is a straight-forward rock track with no surprises, but it’s still one of the album’s highlights.

“Bling,” “For Reasons Unknown,” “Uncle Jonny” and “Bones” don’t offer anything new and sound like they’re just there to take up space.

The album picks up again with the slowly building, stomp-your-feet “My List.”

The track starts soft with Brandon Flowers letting his voice shine with the lyrics:

“Let me wrap myself around you / Let you show me how I see / And when you come back in from nowhere / Do you ever think of me?”

Fans of The Killers’ first album will undoubtedly enjoy Sam’s Town. As a whole, the album is a decent listen – if you skip past tracks four through eight.

The best way to consume Sam’s Town is in bits and pieces. Take advantage of iTunes and only download a few songs.

Contact managing editor Seth Roy at [email protected].

The Killers Sam’s Town Released on Island Records Stater rating (out of five): ??1/2