{"id":2105237,"date":"2026-08-21T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T05:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2105237"},"modified":"2026-08-21T08:00:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T05:00:58","slug":"brandon-flowers-thrasher-review-the-killers-man-leaves-vegas-for-nashville-on-personal-country-hoedown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2105237","title":{"rendered":"Brandon Flowers \u2013 \u2018Thrasher\u2019 review: The Killers\u2019 man leaves Vegas for Nashville on personal country hoedown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BRANDON_FLOWERS_2026_ChrisPhelps.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure>\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BRANDON_FLOWERS_2026_ChrisPhelps-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Brandon Flowers. CREDIT: Chris Phelps\" title=\"BRANDON_FLOWERS_2026_ChrisPhelps\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Brandon Flowers. CREDIT: Chris Phelps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Album Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Brandon Flowers \u2013 \u2018Thrasher\u2019 review: The Killers\u2019 man leaves Vegas for Nashville on personal country hoedown<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>On his third solo effort, \u2018Mr Brightside\u2019 comes out his cage to vividly tell us about his childhood<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_review_overall tdi_79 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_79\">\n<table class=\"td-review td-fix-index\">\n<tr class=\"td-review-footer rate_stars\">\n<td class=\"td-review-score\">\n<div class=\"td-review-overall\">\n<div class=\"td-review-final-score\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"td-review-final-star\"><i class=\"td-icon-star\"><\/i><i class=\"td-icon-star\"><\/i><i class=\"td-icon-star\"><\/i><i class=\"td-icon-star\"><\/i><i class=\"td-icon-star-empty\"><\/i><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-review-final-title\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Andrew Trendell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-21T09:00:58+01:00\">21st August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m finally ready to do this,\u201d The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers told <em>NME<\/em> about how now, at the age of 45, he\u2019s found himself at a point with \u201can evolution of my craft\u201d to write the songs that tell us the previously untold stories of his childhood growing up in Nephi, Utah. As a vehicle through those sleepy towns, tall mountains and red canyons, \u2018Mr Brightside\u2019 collects us in a pick-up truck of the old-school country that his dad would play to him as a kid, long before Oasis, New Order and The Smiths turned him onto a life of \u2018Glamorous Indie Rock &amp; Roll\u2019.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: Brandon Flowers tells us about making his most personal album yet: \u201cI\u2019m finally ready to do this\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He\u2019s dabbled in Americana before, shaking off that \u2018best UK band from the US\u2019 label and Anglophilia of The Killers\u2019 debut \u2018Hot Fuss\u2019 to go full Springsteen on \u2018Sam\u2019s Town\u2019, with some country leanings regularly cropping up until the full-blown desert Western of their \u2018Nebraska\u2019-esque last album \u2018Pressure Machine\u2019 \u2013 where \u2018Thrasher\u2019 takes its cue. This time, it\u2019s personal, but still loaded with vivid characters and his trademark chest-beating bravado.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From Post Malone to Beyonc\u00e9, country music has been oddly in vogue of late, but you can tell Flowers isn\u2019t jumping on the literal bandwagon. Recorded in Nashville with an all-star cast of legendary players that wouldn\u2019t stand for any B.S., \u2018Thrasher\u2019 comes from a place of authenticity. \u201c<em>Oh I could have been born in Bangladesh, but I wasn\u2019t \u2013 I was born here<\/em>,\u201d he croons with a thick drawl and sense of home and purpose on hoe-down-starting opener \u2018Does It Ever Cross Your Mind\u2019, with that warmth radiating through the line dance invite of \u2018One Of Us\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Then open-road anthemics of \u2018Tiger\u2019s Blood\u2019 see Flowers channelling The Boss to affectionately ride through a \u201c<em>disposable Kodak memory<\/em>\u201d of a \u201c<em>cheerleader working the till who wants to get outta this podunk place<\/em>\u201d and \u201c<em>peach-fuzz boys getting hard in the corner on Mortal Kombat<\/em>\u201d. It\u2019s a beautiful postcard from a past life, especially on the soul wisdom of \u2018Plans\u2019 and looking back his simpler dreams of working as a casino valet before stardom came a-callin\u2019 on \u2018Paradise\u2019. The most touching moment comes with \u2018Miss America\u2019, tenderly written as a letter from his sister trying to leave a cycle of abuse: \u201c<em>How much longer will it take \u2018til we\u2019re enough, to be the only thing you need?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s all laid on a bit thick, with the interracial relationship between a Black rising baseball star and a local gal told a little clumsily on \u2018Angel\u2019, and \u2018In A Heartbeat\u2019 slides into a pedal steel guitar snoozefest that doesn\u2019t come to much, but the album rewards patience and your return. The highlight of \u2018Thrasher\u2019 has to be \u2018American Dream\u2019 \u2013 a surreal campfire retelling of one of Flowers\u2019 own dreams about the end of his life, and featuring The Killers\u2019 drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. Elvis picks Flowers up in a Tesla and they chat about life, the afterlife and if it was all worth it. The King throws him the keys and says, \u201d<em>Put it on Jesus<\/em>\u201d. You gotta have love in a life of \u201c<em>God and glitter<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DcLq5IpknDJ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for an indie banger then you likely won\u2019t love \u2018Thrasher\u2019, but if you do-si-do then there\u2019s a \u201csister album\u201d on the way with a more \u201cromantic\u201d feel. We should welcome it. After the gentle radio rock of his debut solo album \u2018Flamingo\u2019 to the assured electro-pop of follow-up \u2018The Desired Effect\u2019, \u2018Thrasher\u2019 is another signpost of how far Flowers has come as a writer away from the glitz and arena pomp of The Killers.<\/p>\n<p>We could have done with a little more of his Vegas oomph, but what we have instead is a whole lotta soul sold on pure and thorough conviction. As we\u2019ve been learning from recent outings like \u2018Pressure Machine\u2019 and the criminally underrated epic of \u2018Imploding The Mirage\u2019, Flowers is a much better storyteller than he gets credit for. With country music, there\u2019s nowhere to hide, now Flowers is out of his cage and doing just fine.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Details<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3810046 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/flowers@2000x2000.jpg\" alt=\"Brandon Flowers &apos;Thrasher&apos; artwork\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> August 21, 2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Label:<\/strong> Island Records<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Brandon Flowers<\/li>\n<li>Country<\/li>\n<li>Indie<\/li>\n<li>The Killers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phoebe_bridgers_official_charts-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phoebe_bridgers_official_charts-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Phoebe Bridgers announces rescheduled intimate UK shows as she celebrates Number One album from hospital<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Beabadoobee.-CREDIT_-Erika-Kamano-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Beabadoobee.-CREDIT_-Erika-Kamano-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Beabadoobee shares \u201cone of the happiest songs on the new album\u201d \u2018Memories\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jamie-T-Scala-200826-COPYRIGHT-Harvey-Aspell-10_edit-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jamie-T-Scala-200826-COPYRIGHT-Harvey-Aspell-10_edit-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Jamie T previews new material and delivers fan favourites at intimate London gig as he announces 2026 UK tour<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bleech93_Sal_Redpath-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/bleech93_Sal_Redpath-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Bleech 9:3 share brooding new single \u2018Figure 8\u2019: \u201cThe product of crying quietly so your flatmates don\u2019t hear you\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pulp@2000x1270-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pulp@2000x1270-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Full trailer, artwork and streaming date released for Pulp\u2019s new \u2018What Do You Do For An Encore?\u2019 film<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Phoebe-Bridgers-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Phoebe-Bridgers-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Here\u2019s Phoebe Bridgers covering Nirvana\u2019s \u2018Lithium\u2019 for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<div id=\"taboola-below-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"> <\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m finally ready to do this,\u201d The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers told <em>NME<\/em> about how now, at the age of 45, he\u2019s found himself at a point with \u201can evolution of my craft\u201d to write the songs that tell us the previously untold stories of his childhood growing up in Nephi, Utah. As a vehicle through those sleepy towns, tall mountains and red canyons, \u2018Mr Brightside\u2019 collects us in a pick-up truck of the old-school country that his dad would play to him as a kid, long before Oasis, New Order and The Smiths turned him onto a life of \u2018Glamorous Indie Rock &amp; Roll\u2019.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: Brandon Flowers tells us about making his most personal album yet: \u201cI\u2019m finally ready to do this\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He\u2019s dabbled in Americana before, shaking off that \u2018best UK band from the US\u2019 label and Anglophilia of The Killers\u2019 debut \u2018Hot Fuss\u2019 to go full Springsteen on \u2018Sam\u2019s Town\u2019, with some country leanings regularly cropping up until the full-blown desert Western of their \u2018Nebraska\u2019-esque last album \u2018Pressure Machine\u2019 \u2013 where \u2018Thrasher\u2019 takes its cue. This time, it\u2019s personal, but still loaded with vivid characters and his trademark chest-beating bravado.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From Post Malone to Beyonc\u00e9, country music has been oddly in vogue of late, but you can tell Flowers isn\u2019t jumping on the literal bandwagon. Recorded in Nashville with an all-star cast of legendary players that wouldn\u2019t stand for any B.S., \u2018Thrasher\u2019 comes from a place of authenticity. \u201c<em>Oh I could have been born in Bangladesh, but I wasn\u2019t \u2013 I was born here<\/em>,\u201d he croons with a thick drawl and sense of home and purpose on hoe-down-starting opener \u2018Does It Ever Cross Your Mind\u2019, with that warmth radiating through the line dance invite of \u2018One Of Us\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Then open-road anthemics of \u2018Tiger\u2019s Blood\u2019 see Flowers channelling The Boss to affectionately ride through a \u201c<em>disposable Kodak memory<\/em>\u201d of a \u201c<em>cheerleader working the till who wants to get outta this podunk place<\/em>\u201d and \u201c<em>peach-fuzz boys getting hard in the corner on Mortal Kombat<\/em>\u201d. It\u2019s a beautiful postcard from a past life, especially on the soul wisdom of \u2018Plans\u2019 and looking back his simpler dreams of working as a casino valet before stardom came a-callin\u2019 on \u2018Paradise\u2019. The most touching moment comes with \u2018Miss America\u2019, tenderly written as a letter from his sister trying to leave a cycle of abuse: \u201c<em>How much longer will it take \u2018til we\u2019re enough, to be the only thing you need?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s all laid on a bit thick, with the interracial relationship between a Black rising baseball star and a local gal told a little clumsily on \u2018Angel\u2019, and \u2018In A Heartbeat\u2019 slides into a pedal steel guitar snoozefest that doesn\u2019t come to much, but the album rewards patience and your return. The highlight of \u2018Thrasher\u2019 has to be \u2018American Dream\u2019 \u2013 a surreal campfire retelling of one of Flowers\u2019 own dreams about the end of his life, and featuring The Killers\u2019 drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. Elvis picks Flowers up in a Tesla and they chat about life, the afterlife and if it was all worth it. The King throws him the keys and says, \u201d<em>Put it on Jesus<\/em>\u201d. You gotta have love in a life of \u201c<em>God and glitter<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DcLq5IpknDJ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for an indie banger then you likely won\u2019t love \u2018Thrasher\u2019, but if you do-si-do then there\u2019s a \u201csister album\u201d on the way with a more \u201cromantic\u201d feel. We should welcome it. After the gentle radio rock of his debut solo album \u2018Flamingo\u2019 to the assured electro-pop of follow-up \u2018The Desired Effect\u2019, \u2018Thrasher\u2019 is another signpost of how far Flowers has come as a writer away from the glitz and arena pomp of The Killers.<\/p>\n<p>We could have done with a little more of his Vegas oomph, but what we have instead is a whole lotta soul sold on pure and thorough conviction. As we\u2019ve been learning from recent outings like \u2018Pressure Machine\u2019 and the criminally underrated epic of \u2018Imploding The Mirage\u2019, Flowers is a much better storyteller than he gets credit for. With country music, there\u2019s nowhere to hide, now Flowers is out of his cage and doing just fine.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Details<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3810046 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/flowers@2000x2000.jpg\" alt=\"Brandon Flowers &apos;Thrasher&apos; artwork\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> August 21, 2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Label:<\/strong> Island Records<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/album\/brandon-flowers-thrasher-album-review-the-killers-3963742&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BRANDON_FLOWERS_2026_ChrisPhelps.jpg&#8221;] Brandon Flowers. CREDIT: Chris Phelps ReviewsAlbum Reviews Brandon Flowers \u2013 \u2018Thrasher\u2019 review: The Killers\u2019 man leaves Vegas for Nashville on personal country hoedown On his third solo effort, \u2018Mr Brightside\u2019 comes out his cage to vividly tell us about his childhood 4 By Andrew Trendell 21st August 2026 \u201cI\u2019m finally ready to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2105237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2105237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105237\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2105237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2105237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2105237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}