Few artists have the luxury of walking away after a song like “Mr. Brightside.” Brandon Flowers could, but he’s still asking himself why he keeps going. In a recent interview, he admitted to periods of doubt after touring, then pointed to Mick Jagger’s longevity: “What keeps him getting up on that stage? I guess it’s because there are powerful moments in a concert.” That restlessness has led to a new solo album, Thrasher, out August 21 on Island Records.
The early singles gestured toward country. “Paradise” and “Plans” sketched a rootsy direction. “Tiger’s Blood” doesn’t follow it. The track is a driving rock song, built on a pulsing rhythm and a hushed, urgent delivery that directly echoes Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” The title may or may not be a nod to Charlie Sheen; the song itself is direct and uncluttered.
Flowers has never hidden his admiration for Springsteen, but here the influence is structural, not just attitudinal. The single reshapes the album’s frame, suggesting Thrasher might move between genres more than its initial previews let on.
