What is it with the negative mentality from fans when a lead singer goes solo? I am glad I grew up during a different era when it was just fine for a lead singer to go solo with fans. For example, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, David Lee Roth, Peter Cetera, Jon Anderson, etc., etc. Nowadays it seems there's this negative element involved for no really good reason.

Brandon Flowers of The Killers releases his first solo album and it's, "This isn't what I expected" or "This is another Killers album" or "The fans who give this positive reviews are deluded", etc., etc. The fact of the matter is The Killers are popular right now, "Flamingo" entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart in the top ten, the first single "Crossfire" has done well on the charts.

Also, Flowers brings in the heavy artillery with three great producers: Stuart Price (New Order, Madonna, Scissor Sisters, Pet Shop Boys, Gwen Stefani, Seal and Keane), Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson) and Brendan O'Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Korn, The Offspring, Train, Bruce Springsteen, Incubus, The Music, The Wallflowers, Audioslave, The Bravery, Velvet Revolver and AC/DC). This has ensured a quality product. Plus a duet with Riley Kilo's lead singer Jenny Lewis on "Hard Enough".

I listened to all three Killers albums in sequential order prior to listening to "Flamingo", and I have to say I liked "Flamingo" slightly more than The Killers albums. This is the first album where I felt there was a musical unity throughout. I did not feel, upon repeated listening, that there were any weak tracks here. Some are better than others, but overall the album sounded good, not great. Flowers (and The Killers) still have the potential to develop into a classic rock band, but they have yet to hit their stride.

Growing up in the 1980's, this album reminded me of many other artists/bands from that era with a modern polish, and The Killers are, after all, a retro band, a post-new wave revival band. Flowers' influences are also from that era, and they are evident here.

"Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas" is a great, grand, sweeping opener. "Only The Young", the album's second single, is a beautifully sung, electronic ballad. "Hard Enough" has a country tinge with a carefully placed hook in the chorus. "Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts" is the most Killers sounding track and one of the fastest paced tracks here. "Playing With Fire" might be the weakest track here, but it redeems itself in its melody line during the second half of the song. "Was It Something I Said?" has a good melody. "Magdalena" is pure vocal hook magic. "Crossfire" is likewise catchy and melodic. "On The Floor" and "Swallow It" finish off the original 10 track album with more hooks. The four bonus tracks are equally as good with "The Clock Was Tickin'" and "Jacksonville" being very catchy.

Overall, "Flamingo" deserves four stars for its great production and hooks galore. Anyone can quibble over the lyrical content here, and many have complained about the religious content, but I inspected the lyrics online and did not feel Flowers was being overly preachy. I mean give me a break here. There are so many other artists that are absolutely preachy in their convictions, and who cares? That's what's great about popular music--passion, conviction, opinions, points of view, attitudes. People are so easily perturbed by the smallest things.

Here's how "Flamingo" compares to The Killers:

2004 Hot Fuss: Four Stars

2006 Sam's Town: Three and a Half Stars

2008 Day & Age: Three and a Half Stars

2010 Flamingo: Four Stars (from a biased, non-zealous fan)

This review includes "The Deluxe Edition" additional songs.

The Killer's Brandon Flowers has always been one of those frontmen who seem to be specifically built for the limelight. Often built so well that being backed by a band does not due because of the desire to express himself with his own creativity with his own fenceless boarders. Flowers has accomplished that with "Flamingo," his first solo effort. The album is made up of The Killers styled ballads, but lacks the grand scale of some of the band's outings. To put "Flamingo" in perspective with The Killer's own music...Flowers brings a lot more "Human" than he does "Somebody Told Me." Which might be a good thing or bad depending on why you enjoy The Killers music. But it is safe to say that with Flowers, you will enjoy the album if you are a fan of The Killers, but if you are not a fan of the band, you probably will not be a fan of this music.

Track to track ratings:

1.) Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas 3/5

This track is obviously an introduction to the album. It seems like it introduces the concept of the album. Being that Flowers and The Killers's hometown is Las Vegas, this is an ode to the city in some regards. It comes off a little more of a commercial for the Strip than anything else, but is still a very listen-able track that does not need to be skipped. However, after a couple of listens, many will.

2.) Only the Young 4/5

"Only the Young" will come across to listener's immediately who enjoy some of The Killer's more "ballad-like" tracks. It reminds me of "Human," but lyrically sets it apart. It is a very introspective account from Flowers that is touching in its tone and speed. It is a track that will give the listener a clue as to what is to come throughout the album. A great track.

3.) Hard Enough 3/5

This track one that is another slow paced song which is backed by a female vocalist. This gives it an almost duet like characteristic which will give the song a "folk-like" tone. It reminds me of something that Bob Dylan would record in his early days. This is one song that separates Brandon Flowers from any of The Killers creations. A good track though.

4.) Jilted Lovers & Heartbreaks 3/5

On this track Flowers brings his lead singer talents to the forefront with his energy and jilted lyrics. Many of his songs have longer, but lyrically strong choruses. This is one of them. A good track.

5.) Playing with Fire - 5/5

The introduction to this track is slowly brought in by instruments which give it a very mellow beginning. It sets the mood perfectly. Flowers steps up and gives the song a very emotional flare with is lyrics and tone. One of strongest "emotional" tracks on the album. The chorus is excellent and it does a great job at making the song enjoyable to listen to and not such a "downer."

6.) Was It Something I Said 5/5

This is the first track that will remind listeners immediately of The Killers. It is upbeat and strong. Lyrically, Flowers once again brings his talents. It is a feel good track of sorts. Including the song at this point of the album is a great transition from the more mellow tracks before it. An excellent song.

7.) Magdelena 4/5

Another track that feeds off the song before it. The energy is there and it will once again remind listeners of a song that could have easily been included on a past Killers album.

8.) Crossfire 5/5

"Crossfire" has always given me the same feeling as "Human" did when it was first debuted. And with "Crossfire" once again, I love it. One of the best tracks on the ablum, no doubt. Lyrically it is as strong as any song created by Flowers (or the Killers) in my opinion. The chorus and the bridge is one of the best I have heard in recent years. The obvious first single off the album.

9.) On the Floor 4/5

This song calms the energy from the three tracks before it. It is another track that brings an emotional tone that is mixed with mellow instruments and slow spoken words. It's a mellow track on a large scale. Towards the end of the song Flowers is backed by a choir which gives the song a different feel at the end as it did from the beginning. A great track.

10.) Swallow It 4/5

Lyrically, many can decipher the words and speculate on what Flowers had in mind as far as symbolizing the phrase "Swallow It." But with that regard, the song itself is a solid outing. It is interesting that he would close the album out with this track, but maybe he wanted to end with a potential single. Because this could be.

DELUXE BONUS SONGS

11.) The Clock Was Tickin' 3/5

If other songs on the album reminded me of something Bob Dylan would have recorded than this track is a spot on Dylan influenced track. It has an almost "twangy" instrumental backing it and the lyrics provide a story straight out of any southern town (but not limited to). Halfway into it, it transforms into a more traditional Flower's track; which seems to bring it back full circle.

12.) Jacksonville 5/5

This is my favorite track of the DELUXE edition and one of the my favorites in general. It has an eclectic feel with a grand chorus that is enjoyable to listen to. It feels like an inspiration from The Killers debut album "Hot Fuss." It can be a single worthy song, which is confusing to think they would only include it in the deluxe edition.

13.) I Came to Get Over You 3/5

Some of these songs, as i've said before, will remind you of The Killers more than others and this is one that will once again have you saying, "this could have been on any of the Killers albums." But it wasn't and seems more like a song that would have been included on the "Sawdust" album (which was a collection of cuts that never made it to any of the official Killer ablbums). That was a decent album and this is a decent song.

14.) Right Behind You 5/5

One of my favorite tracks on the ENTIRE album, and once again, it is strange that this one is only included in the DELUXE edition. It's energy and tone give it an all around grand scale. The chorus is infectious and will have you singing (even silently) along with it. The instrumentals set it apart from any other track on the album. With this track and "Jacksonville," the DELUXE edition of the album is more than worth it.

All in all, Flowers gives what is expected of him. As with any album, give it multiple listens to fully grasp its range and impact. This is easily one of the best Rock Pop albums put out this year. If you are a fan of The Killers, it is another must have. But even if you are not, listen to the singles at least.

As a fairly huge Killers fan, I bought this CD with excitement and anticipation. B-Flow doesn't entirely disappoint, that's not what i'm trying to say. However, there is something lacking on this album. Some songs sound hollow and all too fragmented, while his frequently utilized upper vocal register fades into the background during some tracks. That, or he squeals the notes to the point where they sound irritating or piercing (listen to "Was it Something I Said?"). Many of the songs seems to be going somewhere, then dissolve before reaching their peak. The better tracks: "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" (a heartfelt ode to his hometown), "Hard Enough" (a bit hollow, but his voice blends well with Jenny Lewis'), "Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts" (will sound a bit more familiar to Killers fans), "Magdalena" (poetic and simplistic, doesn't over-do it in the upper vocal register, easily my favorite track on the album), and one of the bonus tracks, "The Clock Was Tickin'" (a solid attempt at a country-esque tune, works well with his voice). Many of the other tracks are just okay to me, nothing that I truly detest, but it's certainly not what I expected when I heard Brandon Flowers was to release a solo album. If you're a big Killers fan and you're going to buy the CD no matter what I say, more power to ya, you might enjoy it. All I can say is that I hope he gets back together with the Killers realll soon. As a group, they are something else.

I'm the kind of person who doesn't buy CD's. I have an incredibly small CD collection, and no, it's not a bunch of Killers CD's. Don't get me wrong, I love The Killers. I'm a huge fan, but my point is I didn't just buy this because it was Brandon Flowers. This is one of the very few CD's that I felt it was necessary to buy. Usually I just go for a digital download or something along those lines, but this I felt it was necessary that I own it.

On this Album Brandon Flowers does his own thing for sure, but I still feel that it has a bit of that Killers flair. So if you're looking for something to sound exactly like what you've been hearing on previous Killers albums, you might be disappointed. If you're looking for something great, and something that has the same sort of feel as what you've heard on Killers albums, you might find yourself enjoying this CD. Like on previous Killers albums, the lyrics are compelling, and the sound is original.

I disagree with the reviews saying that the only decent song on here is "Crossfire". Although it's one of my favorites on the album, it's certainly not all the album has to offer. The album opens with "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas". This does a great job of setting the tone for the CD. Some of my other favorite tracks would have to be "Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts" "Magdalena" "On the Floor" and "Swallow it".

I STRONGLY suggest buying the Deluxe Edition for the bonus tracks. I LOVE all four of them. Though "The Clock was Tickin'" has a different sound that might not be appealing to some, it's lyrics are incredible. I wasn't the biggest fan of that one at first, but it grew on me considerably and is now one of my favorite tracks. The other three I loved instantly.

I can't believe that it took me so long to buy this. One drunken night at a crazy jukebox I found Flamingo. I love love this album! Not only is he a amazing front man for the Killers, he can also rock this solo album!