| Excommunication | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | October 21, 2016 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 50:44 |
| Label | Island |
| Producer | Tim Pagnotta, Tyler Glenn, Nate Pyfer |
| Singles from Excommunication | |
| |
Excommunication is the first solo album by Neon Trees singer Tyler Glenn, released on October 21, 2016, by Island Records. The title of the album refers to Glenn leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in November 2015. [1]
The origin of the album was the LDS Church's 2015 decision [2] to issue controversial policy changes restricting membership of LGBTQ parents and their children. [3] Glenn says that the album is a story of how he grappled with losing his boyfriend at the same time that he was losing his faith because of the new LDS policy on excluding queer people. [3] As Glenn explained in a Vice interview,
Sometimes I'm talking to God, but a lot of times I'm talking to my ex throughout the record. The title Excommunication is a play on words, if you look at it that way: religious excommunication, as well as communicating with my ex. [3]
While Glenn approached the album as being a traditional rock exercise in expressing heartbreak, he overlay that thematic with a second lyrical concern regarding his Church's regressive work against queer people.
Glenn describes a key question guiding his lyrical exploration, leading him to ask: "How was this God that I felt like I had a relationship with -- how could he tell the leaders of the church to put out this new doctrine against gay people?" [3] The album reveals the singer seeking and failing to find an answer to that question.
Life gets so fucking fun when you unwire the shame and guilt about who you are and tap into your core...There's so much strength and power already in you—and that's something I wish I had known, because I always looked to something else.
I see myself as an example of it never being too late to have this paradigm shift, never too late to welcome certain enlightenment. [4]
— Tyler Glenn, on the album's message
We take a journey away from the "Mormon rock star" label and onto Glenn as he is now: a seeker still asking, only now with the ability to disbelieve—but, more to the point—and notknow the rational behind LDS teachings. As Glenn states,
In the Mormon Church, the narrative is that you know the church is true; it's all this I know, I know, I know. For me, it's so refreshing to not know—there's a liberation in not knowing right now. [3]
The division between spiritual depth and contemporary rock sheen extends beyond the lyrics or subject matter, as the sound of the album combines the genre hallmarks of praise with a The album was described by Out as a "blend of synth-heavy electro jams and ballads that are equal parts Depeche Mode and Peter Gabriel." [5] The single "John, Give 'Em Hell" was written in support of John Dehlin. [6]
The debut single from the album, "Trash," was accompanied by a music video. [7] The single "Shameless" was accompanied by a music video denouncing the LDS Church. The album was released on October 21, 2016. [8] Glenn performed the single "Midnight" on Live with Kelly and Ryan . [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
In reference to the music video for "Trash," Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone said "Glenn’s performance in the video is violent and incendiary, mirroring his troubled relationship with his religion. He spits out lyrics that reflect the self-loathing he felt upon hearing the ban on members of the LGBTQ community in the LDS Church last year." [11] Chris Gerard of Washington Blade stated that the album "is as electrifying and upbeat as anything Neon Trees might have produced and boasts the added poignancy of exploring Glenn literally losing his religion." [12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sudden Death (OMG)" | 3:19 |
| 2. | "G.D.M.M.L. GRLS" | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Trash" | 3:36 |
| 4. | "Gods + Monsters" | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Gates" | 3:55 |
| 6. | "Shameless" | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Waiting Around" | 3:49 |
| 8. | "First Vision" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Midnight" | 3:39 |
| 10. | "One More" | 3:48 |
| 11. | "Black Light" | 4:21 |
| 12. | "John, Give 'Em Hell" | 2:49 |
| 13. | "Devil" | 5:30 |
The September Six were six members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped by the church in September 1993, allegedly for publishing scholarly work against or criticizing church doctrine or leadership. The term "September Six" was coined by The Salt Lake Tribune and was used in the media and subsequent discussion. The church's action was referred to by some as evidence of an anti-intellectual posture on the part of church leadership.
Music has had a long history in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from the days in Kirtland, Nauvoo, and the settlement of the West, to the present day. In the early days of the Church, stripped-down Latter-Day Saint folk music, which could be sung without accompaniment due to the lack of instruments in Utah, was popular. In the 19th century, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was created and began touring, while musicians began writing devotional and praise music with a Latter-Day Saint influence, paralleling the success of Christian Contemporary Music. Several organizations have existed and do exist to promote these artists, such as Deseret Book and the now-defunct Faith-centered Music Association. Starting in the late 20th century and to the present day, Latter-Day Saints have been increasingly involved in modern popular music in America and elsewhere in the World.
Sexuality has a role within the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In its standards for sexual behavior called the law of chastity, top LDS leaders bar all premarital sex, all homosexual sexual activity, the viewing of pornography, masturbation, overtly sexual kissing, sexual dancing, and sexual touch outside of a heterosexual marriage. LDS Leaders teach that gender is defined in premortal life, and that part of the purpose of mortal life is for men and women to be sealed together in heterosexual marriages, progress eternally after death as gods together, and produce spiritual children in the afterlife. The church states that sexual relations within the framework of monogamous opposite-sex marriage are healthy, necessary, and approved by God. The LDS denomination of Mormonism places great emphasis on the sexual behavior of Mormon adherents, as a commitment to follow the law of chastity is required for baptism, adherence is required to receive a temple recommend, and is part of the temple endowment ceremony covenants devout participants promise by oath to keep.
Simon G. Southerton is an Australian plant geneticist and co-founder of Gondwana Genomics, an Australian technology firm specialising in Marker-assisted selection for tree breeding. Southerton published the book Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church. The book uses genetic evidence to examine the historical accuracy of the Book of Mormon and related claims about the Lamanite people.
John Parkinson Dehlin is an American podcast host. He holds a PhD in psychology. Dehlin founded the Mormon Stories Podcast, as well as several other podcasts, blogs, and websites. He was an influential early participant in the "Mormon blogosphere," and blogs at Patheos.com. He advocates for LGBT rights and other views outside mainstream religious culture. In January 2015, Dehlin was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Alex Boyé is a British-American singer, dancer, and actor. He was named the "2017 Rising Artist of the Year" in a contest sponsored by Pepsi and Hard Rock Cafe.
Neon Trees are an American rock band from Provo, Utah. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the band the Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records. Their first single, "Animal", climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart.
Tyler Aaron Glenn is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is known as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the American rock band Neon Trees and as a solo artist.
"Lessons in Love " is a song by American rock band Neon Trees from the second studio album, Picture Show, featuring American DJ and record producer Kaskade. Written by Tyler Glenn, Branden Campbell, Elaine Bradley, Chris Allen, Ryan Raddon, Finn Bjarnson, and John Hancock, the song was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Kaskade, Chris Salzgeber, and Randi Wilens. "Lessons in Love " was announced as the album's second single and released on September 4, 2012.
Thomas Stuart Ferguson was an American lawyer, a Mormon and an amateur archaeologist who dedicated his life to finding archeological evidence of the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica. He was instrumental in the foundation of the New World Archaeological Foundation. He initially believed that the history of Mesoamerican cultures provided support to the historicity of the Book of Mormon, but towards the end of his life came to the conclusion that the Book of Mormon was a work of fiction rather than a historical book.
Denver Carlos Snuffer Jr. is a Utah lawyer, an author of Restorationist devotional books, a lecturer, a speculative theologian, and claims to be a “revelator to fellowships of the remnants movement,” a spiritual movement in schism with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The movement has a few thousand adherents, many of them members or former members of the LDS Church. He was excommunicated by the LDS Church in 2013 for refusing to cease publication of his 2011 book, Passing the Heavenly Gift which challenges many points of LDS orthodoxy. He subsequently has been identified as a prophet by many, and several of his teachings have been canonized as scripture.
Pop Psychology is the third studio album by American rock band Neon Trees. The lead single, "Sleeping with a Friend", was released on January 11, 2014, and the album was released on April 22, 2014. The record is based on and is the cathartic product of lead singer, Tyler Glenn’s therapy sessions. Glenn started seeing a therapist after canceling some tour dates in 2012 while the band promoted their second record, Picture Show, due to trying to find himself mentally and figure out who he was. "At moments there's a cry for help and sadness...But I think it's a real fun pop record at the heart of it and something with a message too", he said of his band's third album. Also addressed in the album's lyricism from Glenn's therapy sessions are his sexuality and sex, in general.
Truth & Transparency Foundation was a whistleblowing organization inspired by WikiLeaks, which focused on exposing documents from the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Founded in December 2016 and ceasing operations in April 2022, Truth & Transparency was a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to religious accountability through impact journalism.
In society at large, LGBT individuals, especially youth, are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Though causes of mental health risk are complex, one often cited reason for these higher risks is minority stress stemming from societal anti-LGBT biases and stigma, rejection, and internalized homophobia.
Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to LGBT individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings, and estimates of the number of LGBT former and current Mormons range from 4 to 10% of the total membership of the LDS Church. However, it wasn't until the late 1950s that top LDS leaders began regularly discussing LGBT people in public addresses. Since the 1970s a greater number of LGBT individuals with Mormon connections have received media coverage.
Transgender people and other gender minorities currently face membership restrictions in access to priesthood and temple rites in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —Mormonism's largest denomination. Church leaders have taught gender roles as an important part of their doctrine since its founding. Only recently have they begun directly addressing gender diversity and the experiences of transgender, non-binary, intersex, and other gender minorities whose gender identity and expression differ from the cisgender majority.
I Can Feel You Forgetting Me is the fourth studio album by American rock band, Neon Trees. It was released on July 24, 2020. This marks the group’s first album release since 2014. This is also their only album to not be released on CD. This is also their first album to have the explicit content label on the cover.
A Letter to a CES Director, later renamed CES Letter, is an open letter critical of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 2010s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
