Album Review: The Neighbourhood - Wiped Out!

I like to describe The Neighbourhood as rap and alternative/indie's beautiful, forbidden love child strapped with a clear and unapologetic aesthetic goal. Simply put, if The Weeknd had a band, they would sound a lot like these guys. While comparable to other indie gods such as The 1975, Atlas Genius, and Bad Suns, I believe it is safe to say that neither of the aforementioned bands have crafted a soundscape and a uniform look quite as clean as The Neighbourhood's. Just in case you're having any reservations, they have recently dropped an 11-track album titled Wiped Out! that proves all of my previous statements. Personally, I was worried that this sophomore album would not come close to their first full length album I Love You, but it is important that you listen to them as separate animals.

Wiped Out!'s soundscape is heavily influenced by the wavy, laid-back vibes of California. Even with a well crafted visual of their influences, The Neighbourhood successfully conveys a dark thematic concept through their lyrics overrun by emotion just begging you to screenshot the track and tweet it with a caption that reads "mood". Thematically, the album follows a story-line based on hurt and emotional pain from love - stemming from both family members and lovers. Tracks like R.I.P 2 My Youth and The Beach are especially dark yet strangely therapeutic. The depth of the lyrics in the greater majority of the tracks is something you may not realize in your first listen, but after you've come out of the trance induced by the clean guitar rifts and Jesse's vocals, you will begin to grasp the beauty of the lyricism. Cry Baby and Daddy Issues are personal favorites of mine as the overall vibes are a bit more fast paced without losing sight of the authenticity. Needless to say, I've been screaming about this album for approximately 7 days now and don't see the hype dying down anytime soon. It easily captures the voice of the millennial generation, our expressive nature, and our obsession with being in our feelings.

Moral of the story: If you are into quality music production, authentic lyrics, and an album not focused on hit tracks, rather, a sweeping soundscape, Wiped Out! is the new album for you. If this genre isn't exactly what you subscribe to, I urge you to give it a try. It's embedded in the post, you have no excuse.