I loved Utah band Neon Trees “Animal” so much, I immediately bought their debut album Habits and got it right it in the ear. The problem? After the lead single, the songs weren’t very good. The energy was there, the charisma, the crisp glammy rock was there. But to no avail.
Live Neon Trees have a proclaiming wiseguy Bruce Junior as a lead singer Tyler Green, they have energy and then some, they are dressed in skeleton costumes except for the bassist who is dressed like Sergent Pepper, and they are giving it their all.
But it doesn’t work because the songs aren’t there.
Except for twice.
Once on the excellent “1983” I missed on the album, which proves what the band can do when they have the material to work with. “1983 is calling, I’ll be on my knees and crawling” Tyler bewails and he does that just.Then he dances wildly and very very well, from one end of the stage to the other and NOT WITH WILD ABANDON but very well. He exults and primps his way.
Tyler is a fine frontman, whether inviting everybody in “whoever you fuck” or leaning hard on his Mormon roots to come across like a Preacher, or Bruce, or both. But the songs let him down.
So despite all the will in the world, it takes an “Animal” with its ridiculous catchy “oh ooh ohhs” to ignite the crowd. The moral, boys? Write better songs.