During the time between ' 2012 album and, frontman went through some big changes, including seeking therapy and coming out as a gay man. It's not surprising, then, that the band's third album is also its most confessional, but and company still manage to have fun with their emotional crises. The album's song titles read like advice column headlines, and the name itself is a clever and accurate manifesto: for, the therapeutic value of dancing on your troubles to the perfect pop song always comes first, even when is pouring his heart out. Fortunately, there's nothing boring about the inevitability of the verse-chorus-verse format when it's as satisfying as is at its best. 'Love in the 21st Century' kicks off the album with the kind of unabashedly catchy fare fans expect, with sounding equal parts bold and uncertain as he sings about 'broken heart technology' over fizzy synths and handclaps. While have gradually tightened up their pop formula since, their first hit, 'Animal,' still remains the template for a lot of their music.
It makes sense that they reunited with producer, who helps them double down on their new wave and synth pop obsessions and play to their strengths: 's brash yet sensitive vocals and their undeniable way with hooks. Lead single 'Sleeping with a Friend's breezy synths add '80s soft rock leanings that also pop up on 'Foolish Behavior' and the standout 'Living in Another World'; while it's not exactly the most expected direction for the band, it conveys the album's sleekness and vulnerability well. There's a similar tension in 's lyrics, which cram in plenty of detail ('Unavoidable' compares a bad relationship to mixed feelings about L.A.; 'Voices in the Halls' name-checks ) while still seeming universal.
Explore releases and tracks from Neon Trees at Discogs. Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from Neon Trees at the Discogs Marketplace.
![Pop Pop](http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/dc64d78f9f8becfea10c9d8bc2b82e63a5a745d3/c=0-75-800-525&r=x633&c=1200x630/local/-/media/StGeorge/2014/05/02/stg0502wiamusicneon02.jpg)
Knowing 's background gives an extra sting to 'Teenager in Love' when he sings 'I'm a fool with a curse and a crush,' yet 'Text Me in the Morning's boy-girl shenanigans are just as vivid. Even if sometimes try a little too hard to be serious on, it's some of their most heartfelt music and some of their finest.