Brandon Flowers has always had a thing for the 1980s. On The Desired Effect, knob-twiddler extraordinaire Ariel Rechtshaid guarantees there’s a glossy sheen throughout – but even his deft production can’t quite bring true cohesion to this retro-fest.
‘Dreams Come True’ and ‘Between Me And You’ could be Killers offcuts, which is perfectly acceptable. When Mohammed goes to the mountain, and Flowers throws himself into the throwback sound, it really works: the Bronski Beat-sampling ‘I Can Change’ is excellent, while ‘Lonely Town’ is a synth-soaked gem.
The mountain, though, is somewhat more reluctant to go to Mohammed. Problems arise when Flowers attempts to drag the 80s into a somewhat fresher approach. ‘Can’t Deny My Love’ attempts to summon the spirit of Michael Jackson’s ‘Wanna Be Starting Something’; it lands nearer Lumidee’s ‘Never Leave You’. ‘Still Want You’ is a dubious combination of Toto rhythms and a children’s choir. ‘Diggin’ Up The Heart’ is the least effective; the thought of Huey Lewis doing Grease occurs. Weird, I know, but I can’t help it...
Rather than revitalising the sounds of yesteryear, too often Brandon reminds us how well these things were done first time round. That, you imagine, is not quite the desired effect.
KEY TRACK: 'I Can Change'