Brandon Flowers back with second solo project

Did you ever imagine what it would sound like if you mix the sound of the HAIM sisters with eighties synths and gorgeous male vocals? No? Well, you don’t need to imagine it anymore, because you can just play Brandon Flowers’ new single. The lead singer of the band The Killers is back with a brand new song called ‘Can’t Deny My Love’, the first track to be released from his second solo album called The Desired Effect, which will launch on 18 May.

Flowers gained fame as frontman of the band The Killers, but decided to do a solo project in 2010, resulting in the album Flamingo and hit single ‘Crossfire’. Now he is back for a second solo album and the first single is quite brilliant. In an interview he announced he worked with his ‘co-captain’ Ariel Rechtshaid (famous for his producing the albums of HAIM and Vampire Weekend) on a sound that is totally different from his previous output. On ‘Can’t Deny My Love’, Flowers completely embraced a pop sound that is influenced by the eighties, without sounding dated.

The influence of Rechtshaid on the song is undeniable. His sound is immediately apparent in the verses that remind of the much lauded style of HAIM. The build up in ‘Can’t Deny My Love’ is absolutely delicious. The explosive chorus is outstanding and reminds of the eighties style of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, because of the synths. The production is detailed and layered from the subtle but essential HAIM-like backing vocals, to the catchy guitar rif and from the percussion in the middle eight to the stunning outro. If this is the path he will follow with the album The Desired Effect, we are all in for a treat.