ABOVE: The album cover for “I Can Feel You Forgetting Me.” (Photo courtesy Neon Trees’ official Facebook page)
Multi-platinum alternative pop band Neon Trees is back with their first new album in six years.
“I Can Feel You Forgetting Me,” released July 24 via Thrill Forever, marks the band’s return to the music world after its members took some time off to pursue personal interests. Lead guitarist Chris Allen, bassist Branden Campbell and drummer Elaine Bradley each used their time off to be with family, while lead singer Tyler Glenn released his debut solo album in 2016 and starred in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” in 2018.
The album is preceded by the singles “Used to Like,” which peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and “New Best Friend,” which charted at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
According to an official press release, the album’s overall sound is described as synth soul, blending electronic music with the rhythmic arrangement typically found in the soul genre. Lyrically, the record explores “a myriad of introspective themes across isolation, personal relationships, self-discovery and fulfillment,” accompanied by a musical backdrop of “robust guitars” and “unforgettable danceable beats.”
The introspectiveness of the album was inspired by Glenn’s personal journey of navigating the dissolution of a codependent romantic relationship.
“Writing this record was extremely cathartic,” Glenn shared. “I had ostensibly moved to LA to work on honing a body of work for this album, but also to get away from a relationship that was haunting me.”
The theme of isolation stems from the fact that Glenn spent much of the writing process for this album on his own, with the exception of his musical collaborators. Glenn said that as a result, the album closely chronicles his quest for emotional resolution from the relationship he was in at the time.
“I feel like the record encapsulates that journey,” he said. “When I started writing[,] I was still in that relationship and about halfway through writing, I had left it. I still feel haunted by it and just like all codependency, it’s a journey to rid yourself completely of it.”
Moreover, Glenn believes that the insulated nature of modern technology can bring a stark sense of isolation to people’s relationships and everyday interactions. He paralleled this observation with what he was experiencing in his own personal life at the time of making the album.
“Ghosting culture is very much a modern part of how we interact as humans,” Glenn said. “I have this phone in my hand with seven or eight different ways to reach a person and yet in as many seconds as it takes to block a person or unfriend them, I can’t reach them anymore. I literally could feel him forgetting me.”
Glenn came out as gay in a 2014 Rolling Stone interview. He viewed his coming-out as an opportunity to offer more authentic media representation to the LGBTQ community within the realm of pop culture.
“I’ve gotten tired of kind-of gay or straight people being pop culture’s gay [spokespeople]…” he said at the time. “It makes me wonder, ‘Are we ready for an actual gay pop star and not just the safe straight guy saying it’s ok?’”
The narrative of the album creates an arc of nostalgia that concludes with a message of self-reliance. The record “sounds like one full night of reflection, alone at the bar, walking past the places you’d go with them, texting them when you shouldn’t and ultimately embracing the idea that no one else can complete you.”
“[Y]ou must find completeness and joy in yourself,” Glenn added.
Glenn believes that this emotional journey ultimately amounts to something much greater than the initial anguish of having to let go of someone you love.
“I [c]an [f]eel [y]ou [f]orgetting [m]e and maybe that’s the best thing to happen to me so far,” he said.
Fans online have been thoroughly pleased with the release of the album.
One of my fav bands released a new album!🌈🌴😍 Every song is a gem & “Nights” is my jam!👻💎🧡 https://t.co/VBRIR5WYez #NeonTrees #ICFYFM @neontrees @tylerinacoma @elainetrees @ChrisCordley @NeonBMC
— Raisa 🐱 ♏️ 🇫🇮 (@thisisraisa) July 29, 2020
my favorite album of 2020 so far https://t.co/LWNf4qfyEc
— Trevor Schmitt (@trsvsr) July 24, 2020
After 6 years!https://t.co/FS1JpnFnTH
— jello dela cruz (@jelloLOL) July 24, 2020
they dropped a whole album and it bops so hard!!https://t.co/S4z6H4yQOe
— clown wataru struggle tweets ♡ (@dawndyed) July 28, 2020
Neon Trees burst onto the airwaves in 2010 with the release of their debut album “Habits” and its double-platinum lead single “Animal.” Their sophomore album “Picture Show” featured the quadruple-platinum hit “Everybody Talks,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the band a No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart. Their third album “Pop Psychology” scored them a double No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts.
“I Can Feel You Forgetting Me” is currently available for streaming, download or purchase across various retailers. Listen to the album’s latest single “Nights” below.
