Whenever I hear anyone talk about The Neighbourhood, it’s usually talking about how they’re a more pretentious version of the Arctic Monkeys. Although some of their music might sound similar to the Arctic Monkeys, I believe that The Neighbourhood is a more talented band overall—but they are pretty pretentious. This can be seen in the first track of their latest album Wiped Out! which is titled “A Moment of Silence.” Yes, you can guess what this track is composed of; it’s 30 seconds of absolute silence. This unoriginality of the first track is the lowest point on Wiped Out!, which is unfortunate since it puts a rather sour taste in my mouth for the remainder of the album.
The rest of the album is much better than the disappointing first song would let you believe. The second track, “Prey,” is a standout from the California-based band. It has a wondrous mixture of acoustic guitar, drums, haunting vocals and distorted guitar. This makes the listener feel like they are in a frigid, black-and-white state on the sandy Los Angeles beaches of the ’60s.This beach setting that The Neighbourhood puts the listener in is carried throughout the entire album, but is exemplified on the eerie “Greetings From Califournia.” If any song on Wiped Out! sounds like a dream, it is this track due to lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s truly cold vocals.
My favorite song by The Neighbourhood is a loose track posted to the band’s SoundCloud page from last year titled “Warm” featuring one of my favorite artists, Raury. “Warm” coincidentally sounds very chilling and similar to my favorite and possibly the best track on the album is the titular “Wiped Out!” This track morphs from a rather subdued traditional rock sound into a truly pained and beautiful guitar solo. “Wiped Out!” is a true standout on an album filled with great tracks.
The Neighbourhood effectively creates a setting for the listener, which I believe is lacking from so many albums released today. The listener truly feels immersed in the sonic boundaries which the atmosphere creates. The Neighbourhood doesn’t struggle at all with the sound they want. They sound as confident with their identity as they can be and it really shows through their sounds. They prove that they are not just an American version of the Arctic Monkeys, but that they are indeed their own brand and are here to stay.
Grade: B+
