Brandon Flowers
6th September 2010 | Vertigo
*
There is a killer on the loose...
The prospect of hearing Brandon Flowers voice any more across radio stations worldwide irritates me. This is not to be misunderstood, I admired the Killers six-times platinum debut 'Hot Fuss' and a selection of songs from their follow-up efforts but I feel, with time, material from the Killers is progressively deteriorating and that Flowers's high-pitched voice is gradually becoming more annoying.
Perhaps realising this, Brandon Flowers, in late 2009 with the 'Day And Age World Tour' approaching termination, decided to embark on a solo career which was intended to operate as a side project. This year, he is the second high-profile artist to follow the solo route, the first being Kele (Bloc Party frontman) with the release of 'The Boxer' in July. I was impressed with that effort because an open-minded Kele had made the self-assured decision to change his musical direction by shifting to the alternative-dance genre. Despite flashes of Kele's inner dance genuis on Bloc Party's 2008 album 'Intimacy', 'The Boxer' has a definitively dance-orientated sound. I was intrigued, when discovering Flowers was to begin a solo project, to what new sound he could explore to expand his musical spectrum, and desperately hoping it would not sound like a substandard Killers album.
This much-anticipated album opens with an aptly-titled 'Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas'. This begins with plaintive piano before rushing into guitar power chords, galloping drums and those trademark truimphant Flowers vocals. Flowers admiration for Bono is made obvious on 'Only The Young' with its world music-esque chant and sombre keyboards. 'Hard Enough' is a mid-tempo, acoustic, piano-driven ballad with vocal qualities such as a chrous duet and charming 'ohhhs' and 'ahhs'. Subdued guitar arpeggios open 'Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts' before it gathers steam as both acoustic and electric guitars feature. Distorted guitar chords and crashing cymbals bring the song to a close. 'Playing With Fire' is a slow-burning song which begins in a gentle and placid manner. Its chorus features Flowers reaching his tenor with: 'Playing with fire/You know you're gonna hurt somebody tonight/And you're out on a wire/You know we're playing with fire'. 'Was It Something I Said' is an upbeat song, contrasting with the previous number, textured by a bouncy bassline and charming keyboards. 'Magdalena' is a Latino-flavoured song starting with light keyboards and choir vocals before incorporating guitar and synth-strings. Placed in the closing stages of the album, in eight position, is Brandon Flower's debut solo single, 'Crossfire'. This begins in a subtle manner before making way to a three-chord piano progression, a steady drum beat and high-pitched vocals. Quickly strummed acoustic guitar in the bridge section is an effective touch. The penultimate track 'On The Floor' is a gospel ballad about sin, degradation and moral cleansing, which is backed by the Las Vegas Mass Choir. 'Swallow It' is a bizarre song to digest where Flowers sings in a near monotone and is characterised by a nylon-string guitar figure, an undeviating drum pattern and a 4/4 time signature throughout.
In my opinion, this album is a complete failure. For most people, a solo album delivered by a musician already with plenty of music industry experience with his/her repsective band, should target experimentation and indulge in music outside of the band's comfort zone. But, I am honestly disappointed with this Brandon Flowers effort because it sounds exactly like The Killers. It is painstakingly obvious from the opening minutes Brandon Flowers has essentially banished his bandmates from the studio and created the fourth Killers album on his own under the name 'Brandon Flowers'. Some of the songs on this album are decent but would be much better placed on the imminent follow-up to 2008's 'Day And Age'. Q magazine commented: 'what we have here is a Killers record made without The Killers that sounds like The Killers and is almost as good as The Killers, but not quite'. That quote manages to succinctly encapsulate 'Flamingo' in one sentence. And while Killers fans worldwide will not be discontented with this material, everyone else will probably leave this bland and shockingly mediocre album 'on the floor'.
Track Listing
1. Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas
2. Only The Young
3. Hard Enough
4. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
5. Playing With Fire
6. Was It Something I Said?
7. Magdalena
8. Crossfire
9. On The Floor
10. Swallow It
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