Dancing About ARCHITECTURE

Brandon Flowers, like I’m sure many maudlin teens growing up in the Southwest did, lived by U2’s The Joshua Tree. However, few of us need to—or have the talent to—try to come up against it. I’m only surmising that The Killers’ lead singer’s first solo album, Flamingo, might be a tip to that because it’s thematically set in Las Vegas and is co-produced by Daniel Lanois. Amazingly, it’s his best stuff since the first band album. “Hard Enough,” his Fleetwood Mac-ian duet with Jenny Lewis, the Coldplay-tinged “Magdelena,” and the epic single Crossfire are worth the cover price alone. He had only a few missteps with a few snoozy tracks and one jarringly out of place upbeat track, “Was It Something I Said?”

OMD, the ’80s legends that never got the adulation of counterparts Depeche Mode or New Order, reunite for their first album in 15 years, 25 since the full line-up. Time has been very kind to the boys and I’m happy to report tha fans of OMD’s ’80s and ’90s music will be thrilled. “History of Modern” combines the edgy pop of later OMD with the sleek old synths missing from those later recordings that made the earlier, artsier stuff so amazing.

Maximum Balloon, a side project by TV on the Radio cutie Dave Sitek, should be great, but didn’t click at all and just felt like an afterthought. He does the music and various guests like David Byrne and Karen O do vocals. All just OK and a bit dancy. The only tracks that really ring true, funnily enough, are the two featuring his TVOTR bandmates.

And finally, new duo Macintosh Braun comes storming out the gate with their synth-tastic debut, Where We Are. Fans of Empire of the Sun and mid-period Depeche will devour the silky, sexy electronic vibes these boys are putting off. Every song tingles with energy, sensuality and longing. I can’t think of a better way to seduce that new winter snuggle bunny into hibernation with you as the leaves fall.