The Neighbourhood – I Love You 5/10
Columbia Records
Their visual aesthetic is undeniably attractive. Black and white photography with simple symbols gracing them. This among other things has given the Southern Californian indie pop band The Neighbourhood an air of mystery that they have worked hard to maintain, going so far as to send a message out to press before their Coachella performance that they wanted all photo coverage of them to be in black in white. In fact, for a while, much like the anonymity surrounding The Weeknd back in 2010, it was hard to even figure out who was behind The Neighbourhood. And it was “slipped” on radio that Jesse Rutherford (vocals) was the brainchild behind The Neighbourhood. After their I’m Sorry and Thank You EPs, they have just released their first full length record, I Love You.
Although each track can be listened to and be enjoyed for what is to a degree (some more than others), when listened to in the context of the album, almost none of them shine. It is easy to see why the EP format led to such anticipation for an LP, but it becomes clear that when all the similarly somewhat empty songs (electronic drum machines and extremely tidy production) get grouped together in a much longer arrangement it gets rather boring very quickly.
While the opening track “How” is a great start with a creeping buildup, by the time we get to the stellar single “Sweater Weather” (which is undeniably catchy as can be), a certain level of boredom has already set in. After the single, This seems illogical, as The Neighbourhood often sounds like a mix of Adam Levine style vocals and the kind of darker production one would expect to hear on a Placebo album. The problem is that they don’t go far enough on either side, unable to be pure pop or be pure indie rock. By the time the end of the album creeps near, it becomes clear that the album will leave us nearly joyless.
The downside of the album also surprisingly creates an upside for The Neighbourhood, as the general failure of the project to fit together well as a whole makes the songs more enjoyable as one offs. Other than “Sweater Weather”, tracks like “Afraid”, “Alley Ways ” and “Female Robbery” are enjoyable on their own; they do not become monotone in the context of being part of a larger work. Even though the album should be chalked up to a disappointment and it is clear that The Neighbourhood needs to work on structure, they have fared very well through their single, and obviously have the potential to make more hits of the same caliber, and should be discounted already for their next effort. Moody atmospheric pop-rock is possible, and if anyone manages to figure it out, it may very well be them.