Photos by: Kris Khunachak
This piece was originally featured in AM01 — Issue One of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
It’s no secret to anyone in the alt rock community that we can thank the northeast for some of the best acts to come from the scene. New Jersey’s Halogens are no exception, if their debut LP, You’re Being Weird, is anything to go based on.
Coming in at just over a half hour long, the eleven-track record breathes a new life into a side of the scene populated by bands like The Front Bottoms, Modern Baseball, and The Menzingers.
The risk of sounding repetitive is simply one that comes with the territory, as many alt rock fanatics surely know by now. And yet somehow, Halogens manage to avoid this risk completely, balancing a fine line between experimentation within one’s sound and establishing what that sound even is in the first place.
A cohesive record is always important, but it’s imperative on a band’s debut in order to make the right impression on the scene. Tracks like “Talking Shit” and “Fifth of July” are brilliant openers and closers, respectively, while housing equally incredible tracks between them.
“Without Warning,” a collaboration with Save Face, leans into the heavier side of Halogens, giving the listener just that little extra touch of angst and agression that was needed to make You’re Being Weird a well-rounded record, as far as emotions go.
Other collaborations on the record — “Sit Around,” “Carcinogens,” and “Creature of Habit” are just as strong, each bringing different experimentations to the table that showcase just how versatile Halogens can be.
That’s not to say that Halogens need collaborators in order to forge a successful song — quite the opposite, in fact. Tracks like “Windmill” and “Bonfire” are fated to be fan favorites that are just meant to be played live, while “A Pleas- ant Day” offers listeners a cheeky openness that laments about relatable woes we’ve all surely faced at one point or another.
A strong step that solidifies Halogens as the ones to watch in the scene, You’re Being Weird is a natural (and exciting) progression from their prior singles and EPs.
When Halogens first came onto my radar last October, I simply told them: “Jersey bands never miss — I’m sold.” And while that may still be true, I think credit needs to be given where credit is due. Halogens have established a corner of alt rock that is familiar and fun, but brand new all the same. They’ve taken influence from the bands who came before them, and rewrote the formula to create something truly remarkable.
You’re Being Weird will go down as a classic in Halogens’ discography, and I’d be willing to bet it’ll be a classic for this era of alt rock as well — because, after all, Halogens doesn’t miss.
You can listen to “You’re Being Weird” here:
