Brandon Flowers is the charismatic singer of The Killers. As befits a good frontman, after three successful band albums he thinks it is time for a solo disc. So it worked out well that his band took a forced break. Flamingo sounds exactly as you would expect from this singer who can best be described as a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Robert Smith. The music on this album would not have been
… out of place on a CD by The Killers. Especially the atmospheres of the American sounding Sam's Town (2006) are never far away. But Flowers makes good use of his freedom and is helped by the well-known producer Daniel Lanois as co-composer and instrumentalist. For example, you will not easily encounter the blaring pedal steel in Playing With Fire played by Lanois on a record by The Killers. It is these kinds of creative additions that make Flamingo a successful outing, without Flowers having forgotten his band. (MR)more