Brandon Flowers -Flamingo

Thu 11th Nov, 2010 in Music Reviews

The Killers are taking a well earned hiatus, so vocalist Brandon Flowers has taken this time to record and release his debut solo album, Flamingo.

Opening track Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas builds slowly in pace, summarising Flowers interpretations of Las Vegas. It’s almost like the song has been written as homage to the first time you leave the desert of Nevada, and stumble upon the flashing lights of Vegas for the very first time.

The pace is slow and melodramatic for much of the first half, but really picks up with Was It Something I Said? when Flowers starts to let his inner pop star free. From here, the album is faster, and more Motown rock and roll approach. This works well in Flowers favour, feeling more like Sam’s Town, and less like Human. However, it’s with a track called Crossfire that Flowers solo work will find its biggest and obvious comparisons to The Killers.

The deluxe version features four extra tracks. These four B-Sides are pretty standard, and work well in keeping the same flow of the album, but I Came Here To Get Over You is the highlight of what could have been a bonus disc EP.

They say a lot of people head to Vegas to lose themselves and forget the world. I think Flamingo is Flowers way of finding himself after years of non-stop touring, writing and recording with The Killers, but much like The Killers live performance compared to the albums, the zest does not transfer on record. It’s a case of being better live than on CD, and if it were not for the fact that this album bears Flowers name instead of The Killers, you would think that this album is merely a fourth release from the band.

However, one can only imagine that if and when Flowers tours this album, the live show will be something truly special to witness. But in terms of structure, lyrics and flow of the album Flowers has done it all right, taking the style, formula and atmosphere of his bands previous records, and adapting them into something to call his own.