Brandon Flowers says solo album ‘Flamingo’ a reflection of his Las Vegas roots

"Slow down," Brandon Flowers sings. "Take your time to evolve."

A few lines later, his words seem a bit more in sync with their shape-shifting surroundings.

"Be an advocate of joy," he urges. "Find your little heart’s desire and follow it."

Yeah, that’s more like it.

The song in question is "Swallow It," the last tune on Flowers’ forthcoming debut solo release, "Flamingo," due out Sept. 14.

It’s a kaleidoscopic pop rocker with dramatic keys and a heart as big as Flowers’ outsized, cannonball of a voice.

The song’s a fitting coda to "Flamingo," hopeful and resolute, busy and boundless.

Still, it’s ironic that a guy like Flowers would advise anyone to take a moment of pause on the song, as he has seldom done so himself.

Case in point: "Flamingo" itself, a record that began with a new Killers album in mind. But when it became evident that Flowers’ bandmates wanted some time off after seven years of virtually nonstop activity, it morphed into something else.

"I’m always writing songs, and when I write a song, it’s a Killers song," Flowers says shortly after climbing into his car following a session in the studio one recent Tuesday afternoon. "That’s my identity; that’s who I am. So it was strange to step out of that. But (the Killers) had always talked about having a long break, and it seemed like it was a real thing this time.

"At first, I was kind of nonchalant about it," he continues. "I thought, ‘Well, I love making music, I’m going to make a record and put it out there. It’ll take up some time, I’m feeling creative, and it should be a positive experience.’ And then I guess found something out about myself in the process: I realized that I just can’t do anything that nonchalant. It’s kind of consumed me. It’s become like starting over. There’s a tenacity that you have to have to build something from the ground up like this. It’s been a lot of work."

There’s plenty of material on "Flamingo" that could fit into the Killers’ catalog, primarily because the Killers’ sound itself has steadily evolved over the course of three albums, going from well-heeled, dance floor-minded pop to harder driving, Americana-inflected rock ‘n’ roll to something a bit more playful and dimensionless on the band’s most recent studio release, 2008’s diffuse "Day & Age."

All those elements are palpable on "Flamingo," with certain songs like first single "Crossfire" and the stirring "Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts" the kind of rousing, stadium-ready anthems that the Killers have become known for.

But there also are enough fresh flourishes — the touches of country and western guitar on "Magdalena," the bluesy slow burn of standout torch song "Playing With Fire," the gospel-like effusiveness of near-hymnal "On the Floor" — to make "Flamingo" feel like something a bit more idiosyncratic and directly reflective of Flowers and his Southwestern surroundings.

"I think what finally happened is that I kind of had a breakthrough," Flowers explains. "(The Killers) came out with ‘Hot Fuss,’ which I’m very proud of, and all these people thought we were British. It really made me take a look at myself and my roots, so I kind of became obsessed with wanting to represent Las Vegas or Nevada or America, to some extent. I felt like I wanted to show that, because I’m very proud of being from here. I tried to sing about it the best I could, and then I guess the epiphany was that instruments can play a big part in capturing that essence that I was looking for," he chuckles self-effacingly. "It’s amazing how a lap steel can conjure up the Mohave Desert."

Thematically, "Flamingo" follows suit. The disc opens with "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas," a song whose subject matter is decidedly less sunny than its namesake.

"Give us your dreams, your harlots, your sins," Flowers commands on the song. "Don’t you know the house always wins?"

Still, there’s a hopefulness that underscores much of the album. "I’ve got this burning belief in salvation and love," Flowers announces on "Playing With Fire," and ultimately, "Flamingo" reflects as much.

"I think there’s always a sense of optimism in what I do," Flowers says. "It’s something that’s always been a part of my life. When I was a kid, grunge was popular, and then really hard bands like Korn and things like that, and I just did not identify with it. My parents were happy people who stayed together, who were just happy to be here, and it just kind of rubbed off on me I guess. They’re very faithful people, and I think it’s made its way all the way into the songs."

Speaking of which, Flowers is admittedly nervous about performing said tunes live for the first time.

But like the city in which he came of age, he’s even more fearful of standing still.

"I’m a little bit paranoid about not performing for a while," Flowers says of his decision to keep making music and playing shows while his bandmates take a breather. "Also, I’ve been taking singing lessons and working on all that stuff, and it’s like, ‘What do I do now?’ I always want to get better.

"I’m excited," he adds of making his solo live debut this Sunday, "but I’m also going to be pretty scared."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.