It happens often. It's the well known "I-can-do-it-myself" syndrome, which appears when a band is very successful and a member (usually the lead singer) suddenly discovers they has so much more to say and show. So they have to pursue a solo career. Then everything turns crazy because media starts to speculate that soon the band will break up, so the said member has to give tons of interviews to reassure fans that this will never ever happen. Most of the time it does happen, especially if the solo album is successful, but that's another discussion.
Last year it was announced that The Killers will take a break, exhaustion being cited as one of the main reasons. Very quickly, rumours began to circulate about a Brandon Flowers album. Initially denied by the band, they were confirmed at the end of April by Flowers himself, who stated that the album was to be called Flamingo. The first single, Crossfire, was very nice and catchy, but it had a strong Killers fragrance, making you wonder if Flowers will be able to do-it-himself.
The first (rhetorical) question that will cross your mind right before pushing the PLAY button will probably be "boy, this guy is really obsessed with
But the feeling of annoyance disappears completely once you hear Only the Young. It's a damn catchy song, the kind of track that is especially written to become a single and be sung by thousands of people at live festivals, a song with an obsessive chorus you won't forget too soon. The Killers... uhm, I mean... Brandon Flowers should be proud of this one. Hard Enough manages to keep things at a high level by throwing in Jenny Lewis' wonderful vocals. And here's the point when you can already imagine millions of lovers in the world dedicating this song to each other. How sweet...
Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts is somehow reminiscent to Mr. Brightside, as it's being built on the same I-love-you-you-love-him idea. It's a very tonic song, and actually on most tracks Flowers keeps a bright tone, using and abusing synth and guitar, as he does in Was It Something I Said?. The tunes are not danceable in the true sense of word, not that The Killers made out a habit on composing really danceable tunes. Oh, I'm sorry, this wasn't a Killers album, you're right.
An exception to the joyfulness is On the Floor or “the really slow and profound and introspective and let's pray together” type of track. It even has something that resembles a church choir on it. Very well, if that's the case, then someone assured himself a place in Heaven.
As we get to the album’s closing track and everything seems to be so nice and beautiful, we should ask the big question. If you read this carefully, you already know what it is. Yes, why did Brandon Flowers chose to go solo anyway? Each and every song on Flamingo fits so well in The Killers' shoes that at times you'll completely forget that you are actually listening to Flowers' solo work. The whole sound moves on the same path The Killers have followed post-Sam's Town. This is not necessarily a bad thing (you Hot Fuss fans over there will disagree, I know), but if Flowers wanted a new The Killers material, why didn't he called in his band mates? There are three possible explanations: a) the others were more exhausted than we initially thought or b) the others do not exist, they are just projections of Flowers' mind and the whole The Killers thing was just an illusion or c) this was actually meant to be a The Killers album, but Flowers' ego grew up so much that he decided to be the only one credited for the release. You choose.
Now that I've read your opinion on Flamingo I wonder if I listened to the same album. Crossfire sounds like The Killers all right and Only The Young is pop and catchy enough but the rest is too wordy, with too much chorus and raw, sometimes country-like, sometimes almost gospel-like melodrama that makes me think he was smart to go solo and get it out of his system (his experiments and his Las Vegas obsession). Flamingo may seem to be Sam's Town's successor in lyrics and feeling but it's an all over the place, personal hodge podge heir that can hardly be called even at times danceable. The vocals are lovely, I give you that, but that's it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't pretend the album is danceable; I preferred to call it "bright". Also, I didn't say it is a copy of "Sam's Town", that would have been unfair and untrue. However, it's not much of a difference between this release and the three albums Flowers released with the band. I couldn't find any song The Killers would not have been able to compose. But then again, everyone sees things in their own way. That's why it is called "art".
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