The Californian Quintet are back with the
new fresh soothing EP
By now I’m sure a lot of people have heard of The
Neighbourhood, which formed in California back in 2011. With the chart-topping
song, “Sweater Weather” from their first EP in 2012, I’m Sorry, the band successfully established their Indie
Rock sound. Followed with their debut studio album in 2013, I
Love You., they continue to develop and of course, solidify said
sound. The production is even better in their 2nd full-length album Wiped Out!. Now, two years after
that the band has finally re-emerged to thrive with the latest EP titled Hard.
With the new EP, The NBHD or The Neighbourhood
(whichever you prefer, they’re the same) delivers solid new songs with sounds
and lyrics reminiscent of what made us first fall in love with the band, while
simultaneously introducing some new concepts we haven’t seen from them before.
There are 5 tracks and the EP starts with “Roll Call”
which has the retro feel. The song effectively uses bass and drums to set a
background for Jesse’s moody synthesizer-filtered vocals and building
instrumentals (which made me think like it belongs to I Love You.). Lyrically
it tells us about a little a soldier who’s being controlled, put onto a field
and being told to kill with questioning anything. It’s very story-wise.
They follow up with “You Get Me So High” which a bit
faster tempo and tells of a blossoming relationship. It’s totally an appeal to the fans, a
lifestyle anthem to be played to your convertible- on the way to the beach. The
instrumentals are atmospheric guitars and keyboards and it got a rapid fire
drumming with vocals that alternate husky whisper. It has a pleasant feeling
and sounds like “Sweater Weather” with a whole new air of maturity.
“Noise” is another song with more indie feel, which
weirdly remind me of Wiped Out!
With an excellent guitar and beat, it also embodies the new vibe that The NBHD
seems to be traveling forward. Whilst “24/7” has the 80s feeling in it. The
vocals alternate between a hip hop style and an almost cutesy Indie-style, a
bit like Foster the People. Making it the catchiest song on the EP. I mean,
after all everybody love a good “be my girl” song, right?
The final track “Sadderdaze”, is the slowest and the
saddest song. It’s a melancholy song accompanied with instruments as varied as
acoustic guitar, piano, and violin which go hand-in-hand with its somber
feeling. “Sadderdaze” alludes to the struggles ‘famous’ people have adjusting
to ‘stardom’.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the album. It does still
have a lot of hip hop-like elements, which is good because that’s what set The
Neighbourhood apart in the first place. This EP also encompasses all of the
right lyrics and sounds for the perfect re-emergence of the band, from Jesse’s
excellent and meaningful vocals to a very-well-done instrumentals. Hard certainly exemplifies their
growth in the genre they know and love.
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