Brandon Flowers, “The Desired Effect”

Written by: Chris Osifchin

It’s show time in Brandon Flowers’ hometown of Vegas and this time he’s set out to prove something. With an album title like The Desired Effect, one might surmise that Flowers’ first solo effort, Flamingo, did not achieve that which was desired.

From the cheeky opening jingle, “Dreams Come True” Flowers invites the listener on a new journey. The sound of this tune could act as an anthem for Vegas, fitting right in with the pomp and splendor of a Las Vegas stage. Flowers is fulfilling his own dreams in the music industry, with the Killers and now on his own, but he’s also appealing to you as a listener. Come along for this ride and we’ll really see if it has the desired effect.

If the desired effect is a middling ambivalence, Flowers has succeeded. Somehow, I suspect that’s not exactly what he was going for. The music is ample, but the lyrics are sometimes compelling, but more often than not vacant. Empty phrases abound up and down the album. On “Dreams Come True” Flowers sings, “She wasn’t having anything/No birds or any bees, girl/Don’t go shooting all your dogs now/Just cause one’s got fleas.” Sure, the lines are kind of clever, but what kind of story is this telling? It doesn’t have any focus. What kind of dreams does Brandon Flowers have? The Desired Effect is punctuated with moments like these that put a damper on what is a decent second effort from an accomplished musician.

A diamond in the rough, “Still Want You” delivers a bullet worthy of The Killers. The polyrhythmic claps and the wavy synth give off an air of a heavenly, groovy dance party. Flowers overcomes his propensity for empty clichés to tell a lover like no other that no matter what, he still wants her. It’s direct, straightforward and deep in a way the majority of The Desired Effect is not.

“Diggin’ Up The Heart” could have been the best song on the album until the opening riff was abandoned in favor of a more traditional Brandon Flowers arrangement, then transitioning to a walking bass line and then back again. There’s a lot of different ideas in this track that could be separated out into their own songs. It’s still good, but the jarring opening sound similar to a police siren, only more melodic and distorted, and the thick thwack of the snare diverge to acoustic guitar and a simple beat. It seems like a missed opportunity for an incredibly unique and compelling song.

What was The Desired Effect? Brandon Flowers is still figuring it out.

Album Rating: 6/10

The Desired Effect by Brandon Flowers is available on iTunes, click here.

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