Island / Def Jam Records

Solo project mild departure from Killers’ sound

Brandon Flowers, who is best known as the front man for The Killers, released his first solo album, “Flamingo,” earlier this month. While his band is taking what they call a “hiatus,” Flowers cracks his creative knuckles on his own. At first listen, “Flamingo” is an awkward mess of songs that are either too experimental or too predictable to land on a Killers album.

Cut loose from the synth-rock sensibilities of his bandmates, Flowers channels sounds from Springsteen (“On The Floor”), to Kraftwerk (“Only The Young”) to U2 (“Crossfire”). At some points, it’s a brilliant combination. “Crossfire,” for all its bombast and biblical allusions, successfully conveys the earnestness so innate in Flowers’ work. At other points, though, Flowers loses the pacing and tone native to Killers songs. Tracks like “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” seem like one drawn out crescendo that is gratuitous, if not insulting, to listeners. It’s as if Flowers launches into a five-minute rant without taking a breath.

Lyrical imagery evokes Vegas strip

If Flowers’ focus in The Killers album, “Sam’s Town,” centered on his love affair with the desert, his focus in “Flamingo” has shifted to his love affair with Vegas. It’s not exactly a surprising focus from an album named after a casino on the strip.

The Collegian

Ultimately, the biggest shortfall of “Flamingo” is weak songwriting. Flowers has a penchant for grandiose sonic expressions, as so exuberantly exhibited on “Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts,” but he fails to support his enthusiasm with solid lyrics. Clichéd and tired lines – “The house will always win” and “roll your dice, show your cards” – are wince-worthy as Flowers repeatedly reminds us that he is indeed from Vegas.

Lacking lyrics with depth and the indie-rock guitar of Dave Keuning, the album is a less-coherent cousin to The Killers’ “Sam’s Town.” “Flamingo” is worth a listen if you enjoy getting lost in sonically-rich creations, but “Crossfire” is the only track you’ll hear belted out at a karaoke bar.