Most frontmen who break away from their Grammy-nominated bands seem to lose inspiration; Brandon Flowers, on the other hand, continues to improve his solo career with his new album, “The Desired Effect.”
The album was recorded by Battle Born studios, mixed by Alan Moulder and produced by Flowers and Ariel Rechtshaid, who has produced songs for other popular indie artists such as Vampire Weekend.
The album features other distinguished musicians such as Danielle Haim, Angel Deradoorian from Dirty Projectors and Ronnie Vannucci Jr., the drummer from The Killers who weave their voices and touches with Flowers’ voice.
After maintaining his success as a solo artist with both his album and live performances, Flowers continued to make music with The Killers as well as pursue his own ventures.
The five years since his first album release has made “The Desired Effect” highly anticipated.
After the success of his first album “Flamingo,” and based off the ever-changing synthpop sounds that his band The Killers experimented with, the sound behind his newest album is upbeat and melodic.
While “Flamingo” had a slightly softer version of The Killers’ sound and homage to his hometown of Las Vegas, Flowers’ new album is slightly more experimental.
Flowers starts off the album with the song “Dreams Come True” which is fitting, considering all the success and media buzz he has had with his musical career. It’s a surprising song to start the album with because the chorus is almost cheesy, with slightly disappointing and simple instrumentals.
However, “Can’t Deny My Love,” which Flowers has already released as a single, begins to redeem the album. The song starts off with Flowers crooning the lyrics with softer instrumentals, and he then jumps into a pop-like chorus, where his vocal abilities shine.
The tone of “The Desired Effect” is slightly melancholic with “Still Want You,” where Flowers sings, “Time is passing by, I still want you/ Crime is on the rise, I still want you/ Climate change and debt, I still want you/ Nuclear distress, I still want you.”
The lyrics of the songs on this album are nostalgic like his first album, focused around his past with added darkness.
Flowers said in an interview with Rolling Stone that he sought to tell the truth in “The Desired Effect.”
“And the truth is, sometimes I love pop songs – I respect the craft and the history of that,” Flowers said. “But I also love telling stories and applying my experiences and observations. You hit a home run when those worlds can all work together.”
Indeed, his love for pop songs is reflective in the pop-filled sounds of the songs on “The Desired Effect.”
The Killers’ signature sound that is characterized by drum instrumentals and guitar riffs is still present. However, Flowers keeps his distinct voice and sound with his own upbeat and synthesized sound mixes.
The album follows up with “Lonely Town,” which starts off with the narrator whining about his lover leaving him, but then takes a darker turn with the lyrics, “Did you lock the door when it shut?/ Can you see the knife when it cut?/ Do you keep your ear to the ground?” over the synthetic keyboards, echoing the album’s overall theme.
The album ends with “The Way It’s Always Been,” with a sound very reminiscent of The Killers, with Flowers singing over the slow guitar melody and steady and simple drumming, with its softness making it a suitable song to culminate the album.
Although Flowers adds different sounds, background singers and producers, Flowers’ music always features his signature catchy choruses and upbeat melodies, prevalent in his past albums as well as “The Desired Effect.” Although his songs on the album take on the pop genre rather than rock, they remain likable, with thought-provoking lyrics and catchy choruses.
If Flowers sought to emulate his love for pop music and storytelling, he has succeeded.
– Pauline Yang