Brandon Flowers goes country: A Nashville experiment

Brandon Flowers, the frontman of The Killers, has ventured into country music with his latest solo album. Drawing inspiration from his youth spent listening to Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, Flowers recorded in Nashville, working with seasoned session musicians. These included guitarist David Rawlings and octogenarian harmonica player Charlie McCoy, who also contributed to Bob Dylan's seminal 1969 album, 'Nashville Skyline.'

Flowers' approach fuses his signature rock opera vocal style with country themes and Nashville's rich musical landscape. The album features tracks that explore cosmic philosophy and small-town life, with some songs highlighting a more traditional country sound, bolstered by strings and mariachi horns. One notable track, "Red Ground," offers a sweet, traditionally-rooted perspective.

However, the album's ambition occasionally leads to a more heavy-handed, Springsteen-esque realism. Songs like "Miss America" delve into darker themes of rural decay, while "Angel" offers platitudes about individuality. The closing track, "An American Dream," culminates in a surreal encounter with Elvis Presley, featuring clichéd narratives that lack the self-awareness to be either profound or humorously self-deprecating, struggling to balance epic melodrama with genuine country authenticity.