If music reporter Josh Terry reviewed an album after only listening to it once, he’d be rightfully fired. But with “Instant Reactions,” a new feature where he and another RedEye staff member discuss a new album track-by-track as they listen to it the first time, he can keep his job. Think of this as a fun live-blog instead of a traditional review, and please note that ratings aren’t serious.
In 2012 and 2013, The Neighbourhood’s undeniable single “Sweater Weather” quickly went from blog favorite to radio standby, catapulting the young California pop rock act to steady festival slots, cosigns from artists like French Montana and Danny Brown and an extremely fervent and online-savvy young fanbase.
With its just-released sophomore full-length album “Wiped Out!” the group has returned with a more mature sound—think brooding, R&B-infused rock that’s meant for dark nights at the beach—as well as a clear effort to prove it’s not just a one-hit “Sweater Weather” wonder (which anchored the 2013 debut “I Love You”). To figure out if the band succeeded, RedEye’s Josh Terry and Aly Morris sat down and listened to the whole thing. Below is their entire Gchat conversation. Click here to listen along.
Josh: So before we start, what do you know about the Neighbourhood? Are you a fan?
Aly: I don’t know anything really. And I wouldn’t say fan. I couldn’t name three of their songs. But when I have Spotify Radio on their stuff intrigues me enough to see who the band is. If that makes any sense?
Josh: That totally makes sense. I’m in a similar boat. Heard “Sweater Weather” when it hit the blogs in 2012. I know that its members are all really young (born in the ’90s and some hadn’t even finished high school when the band formed). I know that “Sweater Weather” was strangely enough the first song the band ever wrote—also its most successful song yet and that the band has a policy where it can only be photographed in black and white. Seriously, Google image it—no color photos)
Aly: Oh, that’s kinda awesome. (The black and white photos). So all their concerts have to be shot that way too?
Josh: Yeah, they do. I’m of two minds about it. I understand bands wanting to control its image, but at the same time it feels really silly. I don’t know. Want to start the album?
Aly: Yes! I’m excited. Are you?
Josh: Yes!
1. “A Moment of Silence”
Josh: Oh God, is this really a moment of silence?
Aly: I seriously kind of thought I didn’t press play… And spent the entire song checking to make sure my headphones were connected and the volume was up. Oops.
Josh: Having your album literally open up with a “Moment of Silence” is kind of pretentious. This is a Neighbourhood album—not a funeral.
2. “Prey”
Josh: Like most Neighbourhood songs it kind of makes you feel like you’re at the beach but this is way too over-produced. There’s too much echo and studio tricks that are masking the song—which isn’t bad though. What do you think?
Aly: I like the tambourine. Or least I thought it was a tambourine for a sec. It sounds really faded like they missed a speaker being plugged in. Or a mic is covered on accident.
Josh: I didn’t even hear the tambourine.
3. “Cry Baby”
Josh: What do you think about this one? I’m starting to think this album was recorded in a cave. I like this one better though—it’s very catchy.
Aly: It feels very boy band almost. Like a lost (cave) track from the ’90s.
Josh: “The Sun’s coming up but I’m feeling colder/I can’t wait till the drought is over.” Hello senior year literature class metaphors.
Aly: Hahaha
4. “Wiped Out!”
Aly: I’m ready!
Josh: I like this one.
Aly: It feels very dreamy.
Josh: It sounds like a Deerhunter song at first, which isn’t a band I expected to bring up. It has a very nice melody. And that synth in the chorus is a nice touch.
Aly: It does. I feel like these four songs are from four different bands so far.
Josh: Then compare these songs to “Sweater Weather,” and that’s five bands.
Aly: So true.
Josh :I mean I think that’s true to a certain extent, but I’m feeling the thread that combines these tracks though. The band’s always been like—”let’s combine alternative rock, pop and hip-hop the best way we can.” I mean, they had a song with French Montana last year called “#icanteven”
Aly: It does show a wide range of variety? Oh. I don’t know how I feel about whatever “alarm” whooping is happening right now.
Josh: Whoa, this song really took a turn halfway in. This is weird—but also pretty interesting?
Aly: Nope. I don’t like it all. I liked the first half.
Josh: While that instrumental break started off cool, it didn’t really go anywhere. If there was something like a “drop” or an interesting instrumental breakdown I’d be more into it.
Aly: I actually just took one of my headphones out. I did not enjoy the buzzing. And now it’s back to something I like.
Josh: That’s fair haha.
Aly: It was like an electronic swarm of bees.
5. “The Beach”
Josh: Coming up next: In case you forgot this band was from California, this is called, “The Beach.”
I’m reaching to find something clever or interesting to say about this one. It’s nice?
Aly: I feel like this song would be at the end of a “Chicago Fire” episode when it’s cutting between all the characters doing something emotional. You know what I mean?
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Josh: I don’t watch the show, but nothing has made more sense to me.
6. “Daddy Issues”
Josh: Just by the title alone I feel like this song is going to be shitty to women.
Aly: Yea I’m not setting my hopes high…
Josh: With all the drug references and the way this singer throws his voice around, it’s kind of like a whitewashed Weeknd song.
Aly: I’m really confused. Is he actually talking about small children crying?
Josh: I’m fairly certain this song is touching on his father’s death. Either way, “I’d run away and hide with you/I love that you got daddy issues/And I do too” has to be the weirdest pop chorus of the year.
7. “Baby Came Home 2/Valentines”
Josh: This song is a sequel, as “Baby Came Home”(1) came out in 2012
Aly: I don’t think I’ve listened to it.
Josh: This has a lovely atmosphere and when the singer gets into that falsetto range, it’s quite pretty. Oh damn. This might be the coolest arrangement of the entire album once it picks up. Still some buzzing though.
Aly: I like this buzzing. So is the instrumental the “Valentines” part?
Josh: Yes, it is. This is good buzzing.
Aly: Before it was like swelling and higher-pitched.
Josh: Ooh, I really like how they played with the sounds so it fades in and out.
Aly:Yes. How they fully stop the sounds for a brief second was nice. I want to be at an outdoor concert right now.
Josh: That would sound great live—just make sure your photos and videos are in black and white.
Aly: Haha
Josh: OK, the instrumental is still going and sounds completely different again?!?!
Aly: I thought the next song started.
8. “Greetings from Califournia”
Josh: These guys are clear fans of non-American spellings. Once this really gets going it has some pretty cool percussion.
Aly: Interesting.
Josh: “I tried to decorate and I thought of you?”
Aly: Haha.
Josh: I think with a lot of these studio flourishes and weird effects, the band feels like it bit off more than it can chew.
9. “Ferrari”
Aly: Ooh, electronic engine sounds.
Josh: That’s pretty on the nose considering the title.
Aly: Haha.
Josh: God, I hate these lyrics. It’s so obvious and fake-clever: “Met her at church/But she could be Satan” and “You and I are two oceans apart/We’re on earth to break each other’s hearts, in two.”
Aly: Don’t forget, “But you’re the flame I use when it gets dark.”
Josh: Man, even with “Sweater Weather” a song I really like, I couldn’t get over the words: “One love, two mouths/One love, one house/No shirt, no blouse” from “Sweater Weather” is in my top 5 cringiest lyrics of all time.
Aly: I’m still struggling with some of the lines from “Daddy Issues.”
10. “Single”
Josh: Let’s hope this redeems the rest.
Aly: It feels naked compared to the others.
Josh: It’s not completely dressed up with random effects and distortion, which is a welcome change
But Jesus: “Don’t ever mind sharing oxygen/I just wanna get lost in your lungs.”
Aly: Even worse: “I’m sorry Dave, I never meant to hurt your baby girl/She’s your littlem baby, she’s my soulmate.” Is that an apology to an ex’s or girlfriend’s father?
Josh: I think so. That’s kind of an antiquated way of looking at relationships? It makes me think, “I’m sorry I broke your daughter’s heart, but can you tell her to come back to me”
Aly: “Your baby, she’s mine.”
11. “R.I.P. 2 My Youth”
Josh: Last song on the album and it’s also the lead single. It’s pretty weird for an artist’s big radio single to be the last song on the album. However, this track’s title makes me laugh.
Aly: “#icanteven”
Josh: OK, remember how I mentioned the Weeknd earlier? Total Weeknd vibes here.
Aly: I agree.
Josh: I’m going to get in trouble for saying this, but this guy is like if Jason Mraz decided to make an album like the Weeknd. I’m not really feeling this song, which I’ve heard before on the radio. Have you heard that one?
Aly: No.
END OF ALBUM:
Josh: We did it. What did you think?
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Aly: Um. That was an interesting 40ish minutes.
Josh: Yeah. I’m not sure I’m the right audience for something like this. It felt too zeitgeist-y. Like, the songs were catchy and sometimes pretty interesting but it’s very “angsty teen.” The emotions never really got too complex. It’s all (not to bring up an easy joke here but) black and white.
Aly: A lot of the songs had split personalities.
Josh: What were your favorites? I liked both of the long songs. “Wiped Out!” and “Baby Came Home 2/Valentine.”
Aly:I liked “Prey” the best.
Josh:That one was nice too.
Aly: I liked the middle instrumental from “Baby Came Home.”
Josh: That was the clear highlight for me. This band is still young. I want them to make an epic and loud album sometime soon.
Aly: And I do like the dreamy opening nature of “Wiped Out!”
Josh: Totally. So what would you give it out of 5 stars?
Aly: I was thinking a 2.
Josh: I’ll meet you at 2—maybe a soft 1.5. It’s just not for me. Any final thoughts?
Aly: Shots against for the painful sound that actually made me take out one of my headphones and the fact that I’m not entirely sure what was going on in “Daddy Issues.” But they really do have potential. And I like that they’re experimenting and trying a wide range of sounds.
[email protected], @joshhterry
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