“Pop Psychology,” the upcoming album by alt-rock band Neon Trees, was released Tuesday, April 22. But fans should save their money, because this one is a flop.
Past singles like “Animal” were successful for the high-energy dance sounds missing thus far in “Pop Psychology.”
These singles converted Neon Trees into the kind of group you could hear and dance along to when played on Top 40, but this album’s predictability will cause you to quickly forget any previous sentimentality.
The music video for the first pre-released single, “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends),” should come with a disclaimer for anyone suffering from epilepsy, because the visual assault caused by the combination of animal prints and acid colors leaves viewers reeling.
It seems the band is overcompensating for the dull lyrics of the song and complete lack of experimentation. “All this emptiness would end / Stop pretending, if you knew what I know / Would you be ready to go,” asks lead singer Tyler Glenn, over and over again. The chorus can be summed up in a word: tired.
The next single, “Voices in The Halls,” is the kind of overdone song that Neon Trees apparently consider to be cutting edge. “Every night when I get home I can hear your voices in the halls / Every night when I’m alone I can hear your voices in the halls,” seems to be the only emphasized lyric.
Elaine Bradley and Jason Gibbons, both talented drummers who shine in “Lessons in Love,” a former hit, are almost an afterthought in “Voices in the Halls.”
The only saving grace in this album is “Sleeping with a Friend,” but as evidenced in so many other albums, one song cannot save an entire album. Both the dress and styling of the band and the keyboard parts in “Sleeping With A Friend” allude to the high-energy 1980s vibe that has brought the band success in the past.
The theme of the song, like several of their past hits, is sex and romantic relationships. Due to the band members conservative upbringing and Mormon roots, Glenn described the song to Rolling Stone as “not overly sexual—that’s the kind of sex song I know how to write.” The lyrics croon about how people go out “looking for something to fill the void” while two friends decide to sleep together and face the consequences.
“I don’t go out much like I used to / Something about the strangers and the noise / And why leave if I got you baby / It’s a risk but I need the thrill,” speaks to the oft-risky act of getting involved with a friend, and the platonic yet sexual relationships favored by members of our generation.
Fans should feel disappointed by the lack of innovation in this album, because Neon Trees does have potential. But the uninspired tracks, like “Voices in the Halls” and “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends)” mark a potentially dark path of laziness.
If you are looking for the kind of savvy, upbeat dance sounds that the Neon Trees have produced in the past, invest your money and emotional energy in youthful bands like The Kongos, Young the Giant and The Knocks.
