Top 13 Favorite Albums of 2013 #4 - I Love You. by The Neighbourhood
UPDATE (10/8/2016 8:16 PM): Replaced broken links.
2013 gave rise to a lot of one of a kind bands and The Neighbourhood was one band that hooked me in, simply because I couldn’t really wrap my head around them instantly. Flitting in between a hip hop mentality, So Cal swagger, and a heap of wise introspection, I Love You. is a hard record to pin down and put into words. As I said earlier this year about UK band, The 1975, I imagine that the songs on The Neighbourhood’s debut are the kind of songs that conjure up completely different and personal experiences for every listener. When I hear tracks like “Afraid,” I lose myself in the isolating and echoed screech of guitars sounding off throughout the track and feel transported back to the darker memories of my high school days. Yet, there is an odd comfort in just how deep this record can penetrate my mind because something about the cool and laid back sensuality of lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s voice makes the entire process feel so distant. It’s as if I’m watching my life like a silent movie in my mind when I listen to the paranoid desperation in “Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh).” Coupling their mind bending sound with a black and white aesthetic cements that feeling of detachment and just constantly leaves me guessing. With every listen, I’m left with more lingering questions and desires. Maybe I’m a tad masochistic, but I can’t resist the mystery behind The Neighbourhood.
Favorite songs:
“Afraid” (Note: the music video is explicit, listen to the song here)