If you thought Brandon Flowers' first solo album was named Flamingo as a testament to his own outrageous plumage (remember that moustache?) or in reference to his precarious bandmate-free position (almost akin to standing about in a lake on one leg) then you'd be wrong. The source of the title is in fact a place in Flowers' hometown - yep, that's right people, he still hasn't got over the whole Las Vegas thing.

In fact, the album opens in a fanfare with Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas - an ironically reverent hymn to the city. The track immediately introduces the two strains of imagery that run throughout Flamingo: religion and gambling. Of course, the two are almost one and the same in Las Vegas, whose casinos are described as a 'boulevard of neon-encrusted temples', but Flowers' constant references to faith also put a very personal stamp on the album, given that he is quite possibly the only Mormon rockstar around at the moment.

Although the opening track's lyrics are cautionary, this philosophy is not carried over to the music; the big Killers-style chorus is there, along with marching band drums, synth strings and the typical soul-stirring vocals. Hardly surprising, given that Flowers started writing the album for The Killers to record together, only for the rest of the band to announce they were taking a 12 months off after seven intense years in the spotlight.

Brandon has admitted that he found the experience of recording with his bandmates uncomfortable, although he wasn't exactly all by himself. For example, singer Jenny Lewis steps on board for the melodious ballad Hard Enough, and the ultra-glossy production style of Stuart Price and Brendan O'Brien is evident throughout. Some of Flowers' most major influences aren't far away either - Bruce Springsteen, for instance, looms large over the anthemic Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts, a song that strongly recalls the urgent tone of Read My Mind.

One thing that's noticeable about Flowers' song-writing style is the way the tracks develop and diverge as they continue. Only the Young, for example, starts with the suspense of a dark, mournful keyboard. The song that follows is disappointingly unremarkable until a sudden blast of slide guitar and falsetto take into almost gospel-like territory. Likewise, Crossfire starts with a beautiful, twinkly sound like something out of a Christmas movie, before piano chords, electric guitars and a galloping bass line converge to create a catchy slice of pop rock that was quite rightly chosen as lead single for the album.

Less enjoyable are Playing With Fire and On The Floor, both of which can be summed up quite accurately with the mature descriptive 'meh'. Was It Something I Said? and Magdalena are far less bland but will probably divide listeners; that big, brash, 80s sound is something you either love or loathe. 

The album ends on a high note with Swallow It. Flowers has spoken in interviews about how this song is one of his proudest achievements, but it's actually surprising in its lack of over-the-top Vegas grandeur, particularly for an album closer. What it does have, however, is a simple but infectious chorus, and an intimacy that's impossible when Flowers belts out his huge, rousing showtunes.

For Killers fans, Flamingo has a satisfactory smattering of the type of music they love, albeit with a few more fillers than albums like Hot Fuss and Sam's Town. For Brandon, recording without the other Killers was something of a learning experience. "I had fun making the record but that brotherhood didn't exist. At times it was a little bit lonely", he has admitted. Perhaps then, Flamingo will be not just the first, but also the last solo album from one of this decade's most flamboyant frontmen.