Picture Show

Neon Trees | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B0074LIRB2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2012 sophomore album from the Provo, Utah-based Alt-Rock band. The follow-up to the album Habits, Picture Show features the single 'Everybody Talks'. Like their name, Neon Trees are a combination of slick pop hooks and sturdy organic rock, both melodic and hard-hitting, their anthems of adolescent angst, longing, love lost and found, delivered with the kind of heart-on-the-sleeve passion that only comes from hard work and commitment.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Picture Show-Neon Trees April 18, 2012

By Wayne

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been a fan of Neon Trees since their freshman release of Habits, the poppy album that got them attention, especially with the single "Animals".
While Picture Show does by no means drift from their Indie Rock sound, Picture Show does provides some very interesting views into the band's influences and experimentation. Bass riffs/solos are amidst every song on this album--a welcome feature of the indie rock genre--along with Tyler Glenn's powerful vocals. I by no means was let down by this album, but honestly, if you are expecting a similar album to Habits, stick with a few songs from this CD, such as "Everybody Talks", "Mad Love", "Lessons in Love", and possibly "Weekend". If you are a little adventurous into the band's sound, check out the rest of the album, especially the deluxe edition. The bonus songs are a must have for this album. I cannot wait for their third album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Similar But Different From Habits - A Tremendous Second Album May 25, 2012

By TomKat

Format:Audio CD

Neon Trees' first album, Habits, is terrific from top to bottom; it's only shortcoming is its scant number of tracks. If you liked Habits absolutely get Picture Show Deluxe Edition. It is an embarrassment of riches with 14 songs.

Overall song quality: Almost every song on the album is good to outstanding, including and especially the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. Getting the regular version of the album and missing out on three gems would be foolish. No need to write a discourse on each song. They are all different and terrific*.

Musical Style: The arrangements are more layered and complicated than the crisp, clean songs on Habits. I don't necessarily prefer one style over the other but it is the most significant difference between the two albums. Listen to them back to back and it's striking.

As they did on Habits, they pulled off an amazing creative feat by capturing the essence of the 1980's alternative rock style ("modern rock" in 1980's parlance) without just being a rip off. Some will disparagingly say they're "derivative" but I say they have continued to develop a musical style that was abandoned too soon. Sure you can hear shades of Depeche Mode, early U2, Duran Duran, Erasure, etc but honestly I like Neon Trees' songs better than most of the material from the era. NT songs are simply constructed better than a lot of the inspired material, from writing to arranging to production. That's what is supposed to happen in any discipline whether it's academia, athletics or the arts - you build on what your predecessors did.

Slam dunk five star album.

*My only critiques: the first single, Everybody Talks is perfectly fine but feels like the obligatory follow up to Animal, just not quite as good. Teenage Sounds is a misfire for me and the only track on the album I skip. Hooray for Hollywood is musically a good song but gets a little gimmicky and weird with the spoken word stuff about the dead celebrities, climaxing in the breathy "Amy...Whitney" thing. I'd like an alternative version that was more straight ahead.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This is fun! September 6, 2012

By JudyC

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this CD! I'm not your usual Neon Trees fan; I'm a grandma (although not typical). I like discovering new (to me) bands. Looking forward to more!