A ‘Habit’ You Won’t Want to Break

What do you get when you cross The Kings Of Leon, The Killers and Panic and At The Disco? It’s an interesting mix, indeed, but you’ll find that the the Neon Trees’ new album, “Habits,” takes rock/pop to a new level.

Although their debut album has not yet reached major success, they have the necessary techniques to one day fill stadiums with their up tempo numbers and amazing vocals from band’s lead vocalist, Tyler Glenn. Their debut single, “Animal,” thus far has peaked at #11 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and continues to climb everyday.

This Mercury Records band originated in Utah and has since been on the rise. The debut album is enriched with fast pop/rock jams, which are enough to make you want to get up and have an out of body psychosis. The album will have you begging for more by the time it’s finished and the melody of every song will find a way to get stuck in your head. The album’s production is on point and the songs are written delicately, yet with a hint of anger. For instance, “Animal,” which is an upbeat dance rock track, will blow your speakers up and set your soul on fire, as the guitarist Chris Allen slams on his six-string and rhyths every note perfectly, while lead singer Glenn chants these words “I want some more, oh oh, what are you waiting for? Take a bite of my heart tonight.”

When your speakers are turned all the way up, it feels as if the Neon Trees soulful songs take you from one corner of the galaxy while lyrics impact you hard like an asteroid falling right on top of your head. As you listen to the album, you get some of the same formula over and over, but it works. The synthesized pop/rock sounds are enough to make you feel as if you’re right in the middle of a rock concert, with the beats surging right through your chest, and into your heart, straight into your blood stream.

With the opening track “Sins Of My Youth,” which is about being young and having fun, the listener almost gets an instant sugar rush, as the upbeat track takes you on a musical journey. It will have you and your friends reminiscing about memories and fun times of youth.

Although the band seems similar to others, they use their perfectly crafted music to distance themselves from other bands with their real and actual talent of writing and playing music, which can only be experienced if you hear the anthem of the album “1983.” The song will have you screaming the hook over and over again “Me and you, you and me, lets go back to 1983.”

The album isn’t all up tempo. On the bonus track version of the album, there is a tender mid tempo song called “Helpless”, where Tyler’s vocals soar to his peaks, and he pours his soul into the stereo, where it runs through your body and exits through your sneakers.

“Helpless” screams potential for a Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 2011 Grammy Awards. This single is the anthem for people who have felt helpless in a relationship and powerless in several situations.

But for every gem, there is also a rough spot on the album. “Love and Affection” hits that. Even though it’s one of the first tracks, it is the weakest song on the album, as it lacks the emotional hook and guitar melodies other tracks have. It is by no means a bad song, it is just weaker in comparison to the others.

Although this band is just starting out, based on their outstanding debut, they could potentially be one of the most unique bands out there today. Their debut album “Habit” has all the perfect ingredients to make it in the music industry today.

The Neon Trees debut album is in stores now and is available on iTunes for an affordable price of $6.99. With such a catchy album, it’s no wonder why they are finally starting to gain attention.

Photo by Cynthia Spataro.