The world may be missing Neon Trees a bit, but frontman Tyler Glenn is trying to remedy the pain by releasing solo material of his own. While Glenn’s vocals are undeniably Neon Trees-esque, the music he’s singing along to is far more interesting and more inventive than anything we’ve seen from his band in quite a while. His upcoming album, Excommunication, shows another side of his musical talent, and it’s a sound that isn’t hard to get used to listening to on a regular basis.
With his newly released song, “Gates,” Glenn turns down the tempo compared to previous tracks like “Trash” or the disco-anthem, “G.D.M.M.L. GRLS.” “Gates” is a slow burn pop song that shines more in its verses than it does in its chorus, which is unlike what we usually see from him.
In terms of lasting value, the song is a little barebones and could even be skippable in context with the full album, but “Gates” could be made interesting if someone gives it a remix treatment. After all, “Trash” was given a new life a couple months back when producer/DJ Danny Verde spiced it up with his “Dark 80” mix.
Tyler Glenn is going to be unveiling all Excommunication has to offer on October 21st, and whether you prefer his solo stuff or wish he was back to rocking the mic with Neon Trees, you have to admit that he’s having a whole lot of fun.