Habits (album)

Habits is the debut studio album by American rock band Neon Trees, released on March 16, 2010. The album's lead single, "Animal" was featured in several commercials, including those for Camp Vegas,[2] and has reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100[3] and number one on the Alternative Rock chart. "1983" received a music video, the single was released on September 28, 2010.

Habits
Studio album by Neon Trees
Released	March 16, 2010
Genre	Alternative rock dance-rock new wave
Length	29:03 (standard edition) 37:12 (iTunes edition)
Label	Mercury
Producer	Ian Kirkpatrick, Tim Pagnotta
Neon Trees chronology
Start a Fire (EP) (2009) Habits (2010) Picture Show (2012)
Singles from Habits
"Animal" Released: March 16, 2010 "1983" Released: September 28, 2010[1] "Your Surrender" Released: February 22, 2011 "Sins of My Youth" Released: 2011

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Contact Music	[5]
Drowned in Sound	[6]
idobi	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Sputnikmusic	[9]

Heather Phares from AllMusic wrote that Habits ran through the same kind of "hyper-literate lyrics and whip-smart hooks" just like The Killers did, but felt that the band lacked the "huge, and occasionally cumbersome, ambitions that Brandon Flowers and company possess", so instead they kept the album "focused and catchy, crafting unrepentantly slick songs with huge choruses, and where everything falls into place at exactly the expected moment".[4] Contact Music's Nima Baniamer described "Animal" as "both brilliantly catchy but also epicly anthemic", and that the record "never seems to slow down", with hits after hits coming. The critic concluded her review by writing: "Rock, electro, indie, pop; there is something for everyone here."[5] idobi Radio described all eight songs in Habits as "mix[ing] up the decades, combining for a fast-paced dance party reminiscent of The Strokes and Depeche Mode" which "provides a serious punch of slick pop rock all the way through, making up for its brevity".[7] Jared Ponton from Sputnikmusic noted that the tracks on the album "bring the hooks hard and fast, destining themselves to be chart winners that might actually last a month on the alternative charts", but warned listeners to not "expect to find any profound and deeply thought-out phrases", with Neon Trees "opt[ing] to obey their so-called stereotype limitations by penning head absorbers, instead of clever lyrics".[9]

In a mixed review, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone commented that the tracks "wrap sparkling keyboards around angsty melodies and lyrics", but criticised "how hard the band tries" with "huge, pained choruses" which made the album "more Sam's Town than Hot Fuss — and that's not a good thing".[8] BBC's Mike Diver criticised the formulaic composition of the songs set by the "commercially-sound, all bouncy keyboards and sing-along choruses" single "Animal", writing: "So many of these songs follow the same formula – slow starts, gentle builds, big middle sections, crackling climaxes, sudden fades – that they become indistinguishable from each other." He commented that lyrically the record worked fine "in a pop context", but still "misses the target enough to leave the listener remembering shortcomings over anything else".[10] Robert Cooke from Drowned In Sound viewed Habits negatively and described it as a "cheap barrel of MOR indie rock, cloaked in pointless synths and empty sentiments, over-produced into oblivion", with "inane and childlike" hooks and "shallow" lyrics. The critic noted the "snippets of inspiration" in tracks such as "Sins Of My Youth" and "In The Next Room", but nevertheless found that it "burps and farts itself into irrelevance in the same way".[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tyler Glenn, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sins of My Youth"	3:38
2.	"Love and Affection"	3:03
3.	"Animal" (Glenn, Branden Campbell, Tim Pagnotta)	3:32
4.	"Your Surrender" (Glenn, S*A*M, Sluggo)	3:40
5.	"1983" (Glenn, Campbell, Pagnotta)	3:42
6.	"Girls and Boys in School"	3:31
7.	"In the Next Room" (Glenn, Campbell, Pagnotta)	3:49
8.	"Our War"	4:04
Total length:		29:03

ShockHound Download Bonus Track [11][12]

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Calling My Name"	3:22
Total length:		32:25

iTunes and Non-US Bonus Tracks[13][14]

No.	Title	Length
9.	"Helpless"	2:53
10.	"Farther Down"	5:16
Total length:		37:12

Australian iTunes Bonus Tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Animal" (Live from Apple Store 2010)	3:55
12.	"Animal" (Music Video)	3:22
Total length:		36:20

Japanese Edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Animal" (DJ's from Mars Remix)	6:24

Chart performance

Chart (2010-2011)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Album Chart[15]	39
UK Albums Chart[16]	59
U.S. Billboard 200[17]	113
U.S. Billboard Rock Albums[18]	28
U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Albums[19]	1

Release history

Country	Release date
United States	March 16, 2010
Australia	February 18, 2011
United Kingdom

References

1. Praxis Media. "Radio1 Rodos Greece ::: USA Forthcoming Singles ::: Charts, DJ Promos, Dance, Lyrics, Free Mp3 Samples Downloads". Radio1.gr. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
2. "Camp Vegas – Neon Trees – Animals". Alizee Nation. May 25, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
3. "Animal – Neon Trees Currently Charting work". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
4. Habits at AllMusic
5. Baniamer, Nima (31 January 2011). "Neon Trees - Habits Album Review". Contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
6. Cooke, Robert (2011-02-24). "Neon Trees - Habits / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound". Drownedinsound.com. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
7. Taking Back Sunday (2010-03-13). "Album review: Sugarcult singer lends a hand for Neon Trees' debut". idobi. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
8. Hoard, Christian (April 8, 2010). "Neon Trees: Habits". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 13, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
9. Ponton, Jared (17 March 2017). "Neon Trees - Habits (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
10. Diver, Mike (16 March 2010). "Neon Trees Habits Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
11. "A Cups, B-Sides & C-Sections (The Newest Official B-Sides Thread) - Page 25". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
12. "Neon Trees - Habits CD Sealed". Ebay. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
13. "Neon Trees Habits Australian 10 Track CD Like New". Ebay. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
14. "Neon Trees / Habits CD NEW". Ebay. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
15. "Australian ARIA Album Top 50 - 06/03/2011". ARIA Charts. hitparade.ch. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
16. "Neon Trees - Artist". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
17. "Neon Trees Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
18. "Neon Trees Album & Song Chart History – Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
19. "Neon Trees Album & Song Chart History – Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 29, 2010.