Brandon Flowers | C+

Four years after The Killers released Sam's Town, an album named after a Las Vegas casino, lead singer Brandon Flowers is still drawing inspiration from the city he grew up. His solo debut, Flamingo, is named after another Vegas landmark: Flamingo Road.

The allusions to the town don't end with the album's title. The opening track, "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas," immediately makes the reference clear. The song begins slowly and picks up with a country-guitar lead that underlies Flowers' vocals. As the song proceeds, listeners expect to hear a stirring chorus — it never quite gets there. It lacks the fleshed-out orchestration the other members of The Killers provided on "Sam's Town." This is the first inkling of a production problem that will recur throughout Flamingo. Most of the songs attempt to sound big; instead, they fall short because the music fails to match Flowers' powerful voice.

"Hard Enough" has a stronger delivery; it features a duet with Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley and Jenny & Johnny). Her vocal harmonies compliment Flowers' lead vocals and add a subtly haunting atmosphere to the song. Other standout tracks are "Crossfire," the first single off the album, and "Magdalena," a rousing tune which best showcases Flowers' narrative skills.

Lyrically, Flamingo, is heavily laden with religious references and extravagant imagery, but somehow it never seems disingenuous. Brandon Flowers may be over the top, but he sings like he means it. Still, there's a limit to how much over-indulgence one can listen to in a single sitting. This is an album best enjoyed in small doses. Though not a perfect solo effort, at the very least, Flamingo will give fans something to listen to while they wait for The Killers to get back together.