Americana and country have never sat too far from the surface of Brandon Flowers and The Killers’ music. From the Bruce Springsteen influence running through 2006’s anthemic masterpiece ‘Sam’s Town’, to the country-esque snippets scattered throughout Flowers’ previous solo work, it’s never been too far out of reach.
However, on his third studio album and first in 11 years, Flowers takes it one giant step further in ‘THRASHER’. This isn’t just another indie rock and roll album unconvincingly disguised as country, and nor is it similar to the overly polished modern country filling today’s radio. Instead, this is a full-blown love letter to pure, old-school Nashville country music: an album that feels warm, personal and full of character – exactly how good country should.
Flowers made the album at Nashville’s Historic RCA Studio A with producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado. He’s joined by guitarist David Rawlings, pedal-steel musician Bruce Bouton and harmonica veteran Charlie McCoy, and despite such talent, nothing on ‘THRASHER’ feels overly scrubbed or forced into place, allowing Flowers’ stories to come to life without being hidden behind walls of sound.
Throughout the record these stories include both the personal and the intense. Opener ‘Does It Ever Cross Your Mind?’ emphasises the beautiful chance of finding that one special person within the vastness of the universe: “Some may call it coincidence, but I prefer design”, Flowers says, contemplating the concept of eternity inside an upbeat country tune.
On the other hand, ‘One Of Us’ pays a stunning tribute to Flowers’ late brother-in-law without being truly melancholy. Tambourine and harmonies from Maureen Murphy, Kiley Phillips and Margo Price help turn the grief into a warm celebration of a man who never made a fuss but always belonged: “It’ll make you cry, it’ll make you cuss, you were always one of us”.
For the majority of the first part of the record, Flowers refuses to let sorrow bring the album to a standstill. ‘Paradise’ is catchy enough for a line dance, with a jumping banjo that drives forward the tale of an ageing Las Vegas casino valet counting down the hours as the car owners inside gamble: “I’m parking some white Sedan while the owner tries his hand rolling dice, it’s just another day in paradise”. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Flowers record without the mention of Vegas after all.
The album feels at its best when Flowers leaves the awkward, hyper-specific (and sometimes a little kooky) details in. ‘Tiger’s Blood’ begins with crystal-clear acoustic guitar before growing into something deeper and more rock-driven, packed full to the brim with the cadence and nostalgia of a young Springsteen. It carries a sound that leaves a lump forming in the back of the throat, before Flowers introduces a group of “peach-fuzz boys” getting rather too excited over Mortal Kombat in the corner. It’s these weird and ultra-specific moments that makes the memory feel real – exactly the kind of detail Flowers excels at time and time again.
In the album’s second half, it slows and darkens slightly, with ‘Miss America’ and ‘Angel’ taking on some harder-to-swallow subjects. While the former does it beautifully, ‘Angel’ in parts comes across a little clunky. ‘Miss America’ is raw and yes, unlikely to become anybody’s go-to repeated listen, but that discomfort is clearly the point.
‘The Red Ground’ bursts through next, its mariachi-style brass and strings eventually giving way to a cutting guitar. Darker and more mysterious sounding than the record’s earlier jangly tones, it sounds made for a Western showdown outside the saloon. ‘In A Heartbeat’ continues with a similar tone, but this time Flowers revisits his fascination with time as his persona loses his relationship: “And it happened in a heartbeat, straight out of the blue”. It could easily be compared to Flowers’ ‘Flamingo’ bonus track, ‘The Clock Was Tickin', only here, there is no late-life happiness.
Nothing on ‘THRASHER’ truly tops the final track, ‘An American Dream’, which feels colossal. With Flowers taking on the character of himself in old age, much of the track would feel ridiculous if done by almost anyone else. However, even the lyrics “Got picked up by Elvis in a Tesla Model X” are made to be perfect in his elegant cadence.
Small piano elements and beautifully sung harmonies complete the track, reminding listeners that Flowers’ deep country vocals are only one small part of his show-stopping range. The chorus comes together into something unmistakably himself: “Gold and silver, God and glitter, lights that flicker on hubcap chrome”. The backing vocals continue around him until his final plea, “Take me back home”, and it’s those words that bring ‘THRASHER’ to a close and directly back to its roots: Flowers’ father’s records, his family, and the Utah landscape that shaped him.
Samantha Hall
Image: ‘THRASHER’ Official Album Cover