Earlier this year, the Killers decided to take some time off - but not Brandon Flowers. "I don't blame them for taking a break," says the singer, 27. "But I'm always writing, and I wanted to chase these songs. I also have a fear that if I stop for a year, it might mess me up." Working mostly with Madonna producer Stuart Price and Daniel Lanois in tandem (Brendan O'Brien also produced a few cuts), Flowers has made a solo set that walks a line between the Killers New Wave rock and a more rootsy sound. Named after Flamingo Road, an off-strip Vegas street that Flowers calls his "Penny Lane," the LP features tunes about his spiritual beliefs ("Playing With Fire"), regret ("Hard Enough," with Jenny Lewis) and the seedy side of his hometown ("Welcome to Fabolous Las Vegas"). He'll support the disc with a tour in the fall and reconnect with the Killers in early 2011. "I seem to be at the age where you peak, and it freaks me out," he says. "I don't want to miss my chance."