Flamingo, Brandon Flowers

What a fucking mess!

Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, decided to make a solo album. I never fully understand this need. Sometimes, it is for artistic change. This can't be the case of Mr. Flowers as most of these songs sound like slower versions of The Killers songs. The other reason for a solo project... to be selfish and gain attention as the "individual." This must be Flowers' reasoning. And, he should be ashamed of himself.

There are moments I felt so pained during this album I wanted to compare it to John Mayer meets 80s ballad. Awful, right? Yep.

The only strong song on the album is 'Only the Young.' There is something wistful and beautiful about the track. The song plays like a bonus track from The Killers' Sams' Town. Instead, it gets lost inside these tracks.

On 'On the Floor,' Flowers does his best attempt at mimicking a sober, boring Johnny Cash. What's the point? 'Swallow It' is a failed attempt at something... so failed it lost its purpose. And, on 'The Clock was Tickin' it sounds like Flowers is creating the score to a hipster western. Too much country and not enough interesting.

The lyrics are cliched. The locations are cliched. The album fails at rising above fluff, radio friendly mediocrity.

D