Poor, poor Australia. Whenever I hear of a band out of this strange land, all of the other terrible bands who originated from there come to mind: Silver Chair, Frenzal Rhomb, The Vines, Jet, and in most recent memory, Stereogram. Now, while one must not judge a band by its home, it seems that as a country, Australia pretty much sucks. Neon, however, may just be the cure.
This three-piece’s debut EP, Hit Me Again, is a four track sampler platter of feel-good guitar riffs and syrupy vocals. Swimming in early nineties throwbacks, I felt like I was listening to Veruca Salt’s debut, American Thighs, all over again. Melodic and simple, Neon is a band that could definitely stand to hone its chops a bit, but they aren’t too bad on the ear. While four songs may not be much to judge a band on, Neon serves up a tactful dose of pop-rock that comes alive quickly and burns out just as fast.
The golden hands of producer and former Redd Cross member Steve Macdonald are heavily at play on this EP, possibly contributing to this sound that has managed to keep bands like Imperial Teen alive and kicking. Neon feels honest in their approach, and is definitely an easy listen. All I ask is, “Will someone take the tambourine away from Australia? Please?”
