Brandon Flowers Will Achieve ‘The Desired Effect’ on New Solo Album

Brandon Flowers. Photo: Courtesy of WME Entertainment

The Killers’ Brandon Flowers has announced his second solo album, The Desired Effect, with a handwritten note and 30-second clip of a single hand miming piano-playing on his website.

“May 18th, 2015, we will finally achieve The Desired Effect,” the singer wrote. “Ariel and I have been collaborating in the studio, working twogether [sic] in the spirit of conversation, contention and at long last, sweet contrition. No one has yet seen or heard the change. But soon, we all will.”

As previously reported, “Ariel” is Ariel Rechtshaid, who won a Grammy for Producer of the Year in 2014 following his work with Haim, Sky Ferreira and Vampire Weekend on their respective LPs. Most recently, Rechtshaid has gotten a co-writing credit on Madonna’s Rebel Heart single “Living for Love.”

“He’s taking me out of my comfort zone,” said Flowers in an interview with NME last August. “At first we were butting our heads together, but now we’re hitting it off.” In the piano clip titled ‘KEYS,’ Flowers teased an upbeat, piano-driven sound reminiscent of the Springsteen-esque arena-rock sound he has toyed with in his previous work.

The Desired Effect will be Flowers’ first solo outing since 2010’s Flamingo, though there’s been no sign of new music from the Killers anytime soon. The band released the greatest hits compilation Direct Hits in 2013 with two new songs on it, but has not released a full album of new music since 2012’s Battle Born. In December, fans received the band’s yearly Christmas single: a new and silly tune titled “Joel, the Lump of Coal” which they premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Killers will be headlining the inaugural Kaaboo Festival in San Diego this Septembe alongside No Doubt and Snoop Dogg.