"How on earth did we get so mixed up?" sings Brandon Flowers in The Killers' new holiday single "Great Big Sled" (Island). Good question - not just in terms for the world in general, but The Killers in particular. The Las Vegas band went from synth-pop underdogs to bombastic rockers in the course of one album. But "Great Big Sled" suggests a bit of rehab for The Killers' reputation. It's clever and self-deprecating ("Little boys have action toys for brains," Flowers sings. "I'm living proof it can last a long time") without giving up the big, rock-anthem feel they try to create on the "Sam's Town" album. It has that Phil Spector "wall of sound" production that rocking holiday songs always go for, while still sounding current. And, to top it off, "Great Big Sled" is a charity single, part of the (RED) campaign (http:// joinred.com) to raise money to buy medicine for Africans with AIDS. For The Killers' career, it all adds up to a giant leap back in the right direction.
Listen to "Great Big Sled" here