“Welcome to fabulous/Las Vegas/Give us your dreamers, your harlots and your sins/Las Vegas/Didn’t nobody tell you the house will always win?”
The city that never sleeps becomes the city of “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts” in Brandon Flowers’ first solo album, Flamingo. The Killers’ frontman presents an evocative snapshot of his hometown during his year-long break from the band, highlighting his evolving scope as a musician.
The album’s first single, “Crossfire,” showcases the haunting vocals and catchy guitar riffs characteristic of every great Killers album. In fact, from the first listen, it sounds a little too Killers-esque. Despite this resemblance, the lyrics in this song, as well as many others on Flamingo, personalize the recordings and allow the debut to stand its ground as a unique pop-rock contribution.
The record is slower and more thoughtful than the flashy, eyeliner-ridden Brandon Flowers that we’re used to. Songs like “On the Floor,” “Was It Something I Said?” and “Hard Enough” have a touch of country and gospel, with “Hard Enough” speaking of “getting older” and “rolling with the changes.” Slower rhythms and calculated back-up vocals take precedence in many tracks, allowing for great lines to stand out, such as these from “On The Floor”: “When the lights go down in the city/Something is roaring/I find myself waiting to believe/On the floor.” This poignant effort, a tribute to Flowers’ recently-deceased mother, utilizes stark repetition to underscore the loneliness of the singer as reflected in Sin City.
Flamingo offers an album obviously rooted in the Killers’ signature sound, but it features a standout flare that allows Flowers to be welcome as a solo artist.
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