Courtesy of Columbia Records
The band behind “Sweater Weather” is back, but with an album made of singles. Have they lost their punch?
The Neighbourhood took an extended hiatus in 2021 due to personal challenges and addiction struggles. Despite that, they announced their return in August. “(((((ultraSOUND)))))”, released on Nov. 14, was set to determine if this band can keep up with the high expectations of fans and critics.
The songs “OMG,” “Lovebomb” and “Private” were released in advance as promotional singles. They’re exciting, with excellent production that gives them an ethereal quality. Each song transitions smoothly and explores a lovestruck infatuation with their lyrics, which are delivered in an almost deadpan, smooth tone. Their dark tone and captivating production make them enjoyable on a late night-drive. These songs set the stage for the album as they are stylistically consistent with The Neighbourhood’s hits and appeal to their core fanbase.
The album starts with clear messages and progression: the narrator is infatuated with a girl in “Hula Girl” and is struggling with reciprocation. These first few songs switch between slow and fast paces, as evident by the drums, and some have an underwater-like sound quality, immersing the listener into the struggle intended by songs like “Hula Girl,“ “Lovebomb” and “Lil Ol Me.” They have a nice production quality and unique sounds. “OMG,” is a quick turnaround from “Hula Girl,” a mood swing that fits with the raw, emotional, heartbroken, erratic nature of the album. And then comes “Private,” which is the easiest to listen to because its lyrics are simple and minimal — a large portion is dedicated to a sort of hum.
Towards the second half of the album, the songs continue to be playable as singles, but the production and sounds do not change too much and the lyrics begin to lose meaning. Any feeling of progression
made — from infatuation to losing contact to struggling with heartbreak — in the first half of the album is lost.
“The first half was good, but the second half was way too repetitive,” said junior Tanish Kandalu. “I didn’t feel like it was going anywhere.”
This is clear as soon as you reach “Zombie,” which seemingly dives right back into infatuation and heartbreak with similar slow vocals and an underwater feeling. “Mama Drama” is, again, enjoyable by itself, but it becomes boring, as it feels like a step back and does not bring new excitement through its production or sound quality, lacking divergence from “Zombie.” Maybe this is the point, but “Crushed” is lyrically nonsensical. These songs feel like eating the 10th marshmallow in a row; it was good at
first but now I’m sick of it.
The exception here is “Mute,” which is faster paced, with certain parts sung instead of the normal deadpan delivery. It offers relief, and, although it’s not the best song, it makes an effort to be different.
“‘Mute’ surprised me because … it finally broke the underwater sound of the rest [of the album],”
Kandalu said.
The album ends with “Stupid Boy,” which starts off slow — almost torturous since you know the album is
finally almost over. “Stupid Boy” does get better, actually ending the album on a — relatively — high note. I won’t praise the lyrics, though, because the chorus “Joke’s on you, stupid boy / I won’t let you kill my joy”, isn’t very nuanced, sharp or meaningful. The rest of the lyrics aren’t much better.
The songs mostly have a similar quality, and, although it is a style the band is known for, it gets repetitive and does not feel like a coherent progression. Granted I think this is the point because there is no progress in an unhealthy relationship. Besides what seems to be a few fringe fans appreciating the album on Reddit, it hasn’t gained much traction, with only one song, “Private,” in the Neighbourhood’s top 10 on Spotify.
The album is disappointing. The band did not really deliver anything interesting with it, besides “OMG,” “Lovebomb” and “Private”, which are the best songs on the album. Although I would rate it two out of five stars, I will add one caveat: if you were already a fan of Sweater Weather you will probably enjoy it. Although I am not sure anyone outside the existing fanbase needs to listen — it already reached the audience it was meant for. This album gets two out of five stars.
