The Killers frontman goes full country.

The Killers were such a wonderous  curiosity when they first emerged. A Las Vegas band, who had drunk deeply from the well of Brit-pop, New Wave and 80s UK synth bands. They had genuine showmanship and a number of instantly classic tunes. Reading Indie Life recall seeing them on the NME Awards Tour in their early days, and being blown away by the sheer presence of Brandon Flowers.

This is Brandon Flowers third solo album, the last one was released in 2015. The previous two were definitely not Killers albums, but neither were they that far removed. THRASHER is a massive change in direction. This is a 100% authentic country album. The only way it could be more authentically country was if it came in riding a horse, slapping its thigh and with a clinking spur. Flowers even puts more of a country twang into his voice.

Whilst Las Vegas is utterly integral in the story of The Killers it has always been an outlier in US musical taste. When we were last there, in 2011, there was an obsession with house music that you would have been unlikely to find replicated anywhere else in The States. On this album, Flowers has looked back towards his formative days, growing up in Utah. The tracks are a series of character portraits, Flowers puts himself into the shoes of various people he encountered in his younger days, or who interacted with his family.

Flowers recorded the album in Nashville and assembled a stellar supporting cast. David Rawlings is employed on guitar. The frequent collaborator of Gillian Murphy is a serious talent. Other oversized characters contribute via harmonica and other instruments.

Despite pure intentions, there is something of a huge whiff of cliché about it all. Much of it has been done before and been done better. Regardless of that, Flowers is such a strong songwriter that there are moments and observations that shine through and prove memorable.

Our favourite tracks are ‘Tiger’s Blood,’ ‘Miss America’ and ‘An American Dream.’ ‘American Dream,’ is a gorgeous album closer with some  truely rousing choruses.

A lot of it will depend on where you stand with country music. The odd album slips through into our annual album of the year lists, though if you are a proper country fan you might well want to give it an extra half a star.