Without further ado...
For those of you expecting a guy-liner clad, glitter adorned Flowers to make a reappearance, I’m afraid he has been well and truly left back in 2004. ‘Flamingo’ instead pays homage to his darker and more mature character; an unaccompanied continuation from The Killer’s recent works, ‘Sam’s Town’ and ‘Day and Age’.
‘Flamingo’ kicks off with opening track ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’, crammed with atmospheric energy and the patriotism that Flowers is notorious for. With talk of ‘...blackjack and Lady Luck’, he sums the city up in just a few choice words. However, not afraid to be different, Flowers makes several references to childhood, the yearning to revert to a simpler world – only to remind us that ‘... the house always wins.’ An indication of new age society or simply a reference to Las Vegas casinos; either way it sets the tone for the remainder of the album.
A personal favourite of mine is ‘Only the Young’, the second track on the album and in my opinion the strongest, gaining momentum with each listen. With a chorus that will plant itself firmly in your head for quite a while, it’s hopefully going to be on Flower’s shortlist for his next single release after the success of ‘Crossfire’, which reached number 8 in the UK charts after it hit the shelves on July 8th.
‘Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts’ is also one to listen out for. Just track four on the album, it’s upbeat and carefree melody hides a darker story, with several emotions being unearthed throughout. It is at times a tale of regret, at others a submission of longing. Flowers bares all as he exclaims ‘... you fly away while I’m stuck here on the ground’. With the track ending in a crescendo of drums and heavy guitar chords, it’s a tribute to Flower’s honourable ability to convey an array of emotions in just four minutes.
I may be slightly biased due to always being a huge fan of The Killers and therefore Flowers, but with the album growing on me with each listen; it’s hard to find negatives throughout. Perhaps at first glance, (or perhaps this should be listen), some tracks appear slightly tedious, even weak. For example ‘Swallow It’ features Flower’s vocals at their most vulnerable, but it strangely grows on you, as does the country tinged ‘The Clock Was Tickin’.
Overall, ‘Flamingo’ is an enviable attempt at a solo album for such a prestigious front man. Flowers is renowned for his style, a style which I find refreshing and have a high level of respect for. Yes, ‘Flamingo’ could be mistaken for the next album from The Killers, but surely this is due to the heavy influence Flowers had on the band itself. Like most of his work, ‘Flamingo’ is brave and for those who aren’t looking for the next ‘Mr Brightside’ and have instead matured along with Flowers, the lyrics are something special and most definitely worth a listen for those who appreciate his talents.
Led by Smith's unique vocals, the track possesses the same charm Maximo Park so effortlessly maintained throughout their succession of hits; a factor that I put down to the lyrical qualities and the sheer passion behind them. Smith talks about his '... private heart', despite being so enviably honest throughout the track, exclaiming that '... you can rely for nature to chuck another spanner in the works'. As always, Smith's influence comes from previous relationships.
Fortunately, his music isn't as negative as he proclaims his love life to be. 'North Atlantic Drift' is a heartfelt dose of blissful indie pop. Although like Brandon Flowers and Blocparty's frontman Kele, it begs the question as to whether they'd have done just as good if not better had they stuck with the bands that gave them success in the first place.
Nonetheless, here is 'North Atlantic Drift', enjoy.
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