I am feeling “Wiped Out!” from all the excitement I’ve been feeling for the last few months.
Once again, there is another amazing pun to start off this review. The Neighbourhood is back with their sophomore album, you guessed it, “Wiped Out!” To be honest, Rutherford’s sultry tone and everything about them makes me lose it inside. I am obsessed with everything they put out, in my eyes they can do no wrong.
Before I get more off track, The Neighbourhood was trying to keep their identities a secret for some time. According to iTunes, they took alternative rock stations by surprise when in 2012 their single “Female Robbery,” was released. Their EP “I’m Sorry…” was soon released with the song “Sweater Weather” that joined “Female Robbery” on their debut album in April 2013 “I Love You.”
The band consists of lead singer Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Zach Abels, Jeremy Freedman, Mikey Margott, and current drummer Brandon Fried. Their old drummer now has a solo career and I’m obsessed with his work as well. I know, what a shocker.
“Wiped Out!” came out Oct. 30 at midnight. With similar roots to their debut album, they keep their melancholy sound, deep lyrics, and have more songs revolving around the guitarists. None of their EPs and albums sound the same.
Their album “I Love You” was very drum based as songs like “Female Robbery” and “Flawless” were very drum heavy. On this new album, the “Female Robbery” of the tracklist would either be “Cry Baby” or “Prey,” since both are guitar heavy, and that is the set theme noticed while listening to “Wiped Out!”Throughout most of the songs, you hear either an acoustic or unplugged guitar.
This leads to The Neighbourhood having a theme and motto of everything being black and white, no grey. It means they don’t like to sugar coat things, there should be no middle ground, hence how grey is between black and white. All their album art follows the theme.
Unlike “I Love You,” the band carries the sounds of the beach and a surfer boy feel in this new album. While some songs, like the transition in the song “Wiped Out!” and “Daddy Issues” give off their well known angst feeling, songs like “The Beach” and “Single” have a very relaxed tone. In fact, the transition in “Wiped Out!” is what divides the voice Rutherford portrays along each song. Everything before that fourth track is mellow, and everything afterwards is uneasy.
The album starts off with a 30 second silent period called “A Moment of Silence.” It is soon followed by their last song written for this album, “Prey.” Their mixtape was clearly about Leadman, Jesse’s ex girlfriend, who cheated on him. This leads to this album having a similar message. “Prey” talks about feeling vulnerable and not knowing what to do. However in “Single,” Rutherford is asking his current girlfriend’s father if she can be his girl.
Their last track “R.I.P 2 My Youth” shows vulnerability and how Rutherford feels the world is an evil place and doesn’t want to grow up. This album along with every other EP or CD tells the truth, the truth everyone is afraid to admit.
While some songs like “R.I.P 2 My Youth,” “Prey,” and “Baby Came Home/Valentine” have lyrics that bring me to tears, they have recently had a streak of lyrics that make me cringe. In their song “Ferrari,” Rutherford says how some girl he met at church may be Satan. It completely threw me off guard when I first heard the song. I think he is saying this girl is a hypocrite, but who knows. That is one thing with The Neighbourhood’s music, their lyrics don’t always have direct meaning.
My favorite track on the song is “Daddy Issues.” It talks about how Rutherford’s dad passed away when he was younger. The sensual sound brings me back to one of their oldest EPs “Thank You.” Their older songs seem to have more raw lyrics, and less silly lyrics that make no sense.
Overall, I give this album 9/10 Toppers’ Pizza. To anyone who gets this reference, let’s be friends. Don’t be disappointed with some of the lyrics because the songs with incredible lyricism will make up for the silly ones.