The band began writing the tracks for Day & Age while on the road during the Sam's Town Tour.

Producer Stuart Price had worked on a few remixes for the Killers, but the band had still never met him until they connected in London in 2006.

Price and the band had dinner, before returning to his home studio and recording the lead single "Human" in two hours.

The vinyl edition was released in the US on November 18, 2008, and included a free download of the album from Island Records.

[citation needed] Additionally, the band released a video for "Goodnight, Travel Well" in partnership with MTV EXIT, UNICEF, and USAID in order to raise awareness about human trafficking.

[15] Edna Gundersen of USA Today called Day & Age "outstanding" and "a fresh and immediate arena-rock triumph".

She continued, "The sound isn't just bigger, it's transnational, yielding the kind of radiant, whip-smart rock album you seldom hear in this day and age.

"[25] Jill Menze of Billboard called the album a "gamble" and said "if nothing else, this band keeps fans on their toes, and they're likely to buy in for another round.

"[24] Michael Franco of PopMatters stated, "The bulk of the album... sees the Killers doing what they do best: crafting new wave dance songs that sound like lost classics from the '80s.

"[27] In a mixed review, Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork characterized Day & Age as "the Killers' spitball album, the one where they try everything and see what works while Flowers grasps for a relatable tone.

"[21] Q concluded that the album contained "four great songs, two so-so ones and four duds", while noting that "the spirit in which it was made merits goodwill.

[35] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 27, 2009,[36] and by July 2012, it had sold 774,000 copies in the United States.