Indeed, as Hot Fuss sporadically intimated, the Killers are among pop's foremost practitioners." Comparing Sam's Town to the band's debut album Hot Fuss, Martin stated: "Crucially, Sam's Town sounds like a complete collection, with a far better strike rate than its predecessor."
Martin remarked that Sam's Town is a more cohesive album compared to the Killers' debut, Hot Fuss. He noted that Sam's Town has a higher success rate in terms of overall quality.