After its huge single, “Anna Sun” became a craze everywhere in 2011, the band Walk the Moon drives more fans in with its newest album, Talking Is Hard. With pop sprinkled onto each song on this 12-track album, Walk the Moon adds this small change in its music unlike its previous albums, I Want! I Want! and Walk the Moon, which contain an indie-rock style. Talking Is Hard was first added to Spotify on Nov. 28, but then on Dec. 3, it hit the shelves.

The first single that came off of the album, released in early September, known as “Shut Up And Dance,” brought popularity to the table with its smooth vocals and dominant synthesizer vibes. Vocalist and keyboardist, Nicholas Petricca, took authority in this song by using keyboard notes that went along with the overall tone of the song. The finished product of this buzzed about track is extremely danceable and outgoing, and it is one of the stronger indie-pop songs on the album.

Some songs, such as “Different Colors,” convey powerful messages that are eye-opening to listeners. In an interview explaining the meaning of the track, Petricca stated that “Different Colors” was to support the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, and the colors represent the pride flags. Petricca also said that the song was to help the racial faction by showing that everyone has different skin colors. In addition to portraying an important message, “Different Colors” is bound to get stuck in listeners’ heads due to the catchiness of the song chorus.

If you listen to the bands Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy, then you will most likely enjoy the song “Up 2 U.” Instrumentally, Sean Waugaman, Walk the Moon’s drummer, hits the drums loudly, making each beat stand out. The guitar usage, taken on by Eli Maiman, and the drums altogether replicate a typical Fall Out Boy song. After a mouthful of verses, Petricca shouts, “It’s up to you!” With the vocal effects used in the song, Petricca sounds identical to Panic! At The Disco frontman, Brendan Urie.

The songs “Avalanche” and “Aquaman,” are crisp and slower than the other pop-filled tracks on the album. With simplicity and gentle background vocals, “Avalanche” and “Aquaman” are the only songs on Talking Is Hard that can make you calmer and feel at ease. Including faint helicopter and waterfall noises, “Avalanche” takes on a small amount of pop, guitar strums and bass strums. The keyboard can be recognized, however, it is not as obnoxious. The underdog of the album “Aquaman” sounds like an unreleased NSYNC song from the mid-90s. The song overall is laid back, but the song’s pace gradually gets faster and exciting.

If you are an avid or new listener of Walk the Moon, you need to listen to the band’s newest album Talking Is Hard. The overall album is filled with different surprises and music genres that seem like indie-pop songs in the end. Walk the Moon will continue to drag in new fans as each song delivers a unique and fun tune.