What have we here? Another band of Aussies hoping to make it big across the pond? Looks that way. Neon does hail from Melbourne, Australia and, yes, they do hope to find success here in the US, but do they have anything to offer? If this EP is any indication then the answer is... maybe. The EP starts of with "Hit Me Again", a driving tune with a slightly retro feel (which I will admit doesn't do a lot for me) but the syncopated guitar line is quite catchy. The vocal harmonies stand out, as well, and give the song more appeal on repeated spins. This song has kind of an anthemic quality to it and would fit in nicely on mainstream rock radio or, perhaps, as part of a movie soundtrack.
"Dizziness" is up next and it has a slow shuffle feel to it that percolates a nice mid-tempo pace. The vocals, again with lots of harmonies, come across more emotional and a tad less polished this time which serves as a plus.
The last two tracks on this EP are, in fact, demos. Why? Don't ask me...
The first is a cover of Cheap Trick's "He's A Whore", which is a fairly faithful rendition and seems to suit the band's style well enough, but it would serve them better as a B-side rather than on their "breakout" EP where there is less original material to balance it against.
The last song is "A Million Suns" and could be considered a ballad of sorts. Not bad, just not on par with the first two tracks but, hey, it isn't finished, right?
Sadly, it seems the overall impact of this EP was diminished by the inclusion of the two demos ... The first two songs were strong and had me curious, but it just dropped off after that. So, can Neon expect to become FM staples in the good ole USA? Possibly, but I suppose we will have to reserve final judgment until they produce more finished material.
Standout tracks : Dizziness
