Def Jam Recordings and RBMG· February 14, 2020

Love him, hate him, or stopped paying attention to him years ago, there’s no denying the impact that Justin Bieber has had on music and the world of celebrity. He redefined what it meant to be famous in the 21st century, but inevitably fell from grace. Unfortunately for him, and everyone else, his return falls a bit flat.

Despite being Justin’s comeback to the public, 

 is actually an album entirely made for his wife, Hailey Baldwin, and the world wouldn’t have been missing a thing had he decided to only share it with her. It’s hard to say what it is exactly, but something just seems to be missing from this album. The production is nice, but repetitive. The songs are inspired, yet boring. The one constant is that his voice is still surprisingly solid, despite years of overuse and drug abuse.

 is that, unless you’re madly in love with Hailey Baldwin, it’s hard to care about and connect with the music. Similarly to Chance the Rapper’s 

, it’s hard to listen to this album without thinking “We get it: you’re married and in love, good for you.” At least Chance’s album was a celebration of his actual wedding and marriage, whereas 

is basically an hour of Justin bragging about ending his celibacy and having lots of sex with his wife. Perhaps that’s why this album is so underwhelming, because most of us couldn’t care less about Justin Bieber’s sex life.

, there are a few songs that make it almost worth listening to. “That’s What Love Is” is a sweet and simple guitar-based track about (surprise, surprise) love that typically wouldn’t stand out, but because it’s one of the only songs where Justin isn’t desperately seeking acceptance from the hip-hop/R&B community it actually ends up being a nice refresher. Nevertheless, it’s still in the same boat as all the other songs—monotonous and largely lacking in substance.

Fortunately for him, at this point in his career the quality of the music isn’t actually that important. He’s achieved a level of celebrity that allows him the luxury to release an album full of skip songs, which is what 

is. As individual tracks, these songs are just fine. They’re easy to listen to and even enjoyable, but it’s nowhere close to the level of talent that should be coming from someone with five albums. Despite this, he’s got some of the most loyal followers the music industry has ever seen, and they’ll happily take whatever he feels like giving them.

Like his return, Justin Bieber’s ‘Changes’ falls a bit flat

From the moment Wallows took the stage at Paradise Rock Club, they exuded strong, yet light-hearted adrenaline as they performed. Their positive energy prompted the audience to reciprocate, jumping and dancing along to the music throughout the whole show. Despite the small size of the venue and the fact that Wallows is a fairly new band, their energetic and fun demeanor made this one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.

Wallows. Photo by Rachel Feinberg for WRBB.

The show itself was not inherently special. An amateur level indie-rock performance with little decor beyond cool lighting, but the talent and professionalism they exhibit makes you forget they’re still fairly new to touring altogether.

Opening the show with “Are You Bored Yet?”, the lead single off their album, got the crowd into the swing of things quickly. By the time they reached the chorus the energy was bouncing off the walls and the lyrics were being shouted back at the band while they sang. The setlist combined tracks from their album as well as priorly released EP, and they even threw in a few of the first songs they ever released back in 2017.

Some of the best moments of the show seemed to occur on random whims, like an impromptu cover of the Drake & Josh theme song or the performance of one of their first songs, “Sun Tan”, which hadn’t been performed live since their 2018 winter tour. The highlight of the night, however, was the performance of “Do Not Wait”, their album’s final track. At 6-and-a-half minutes long, the song is undoubtedly their most vulnerable and the raw emotion pouring out of Dylan Minnette’s voice is even more powerful in person.

As a fan of their music since the start, I was filled with not only joy but also a sense of pride getting to see Wallows perform live. I felt that feeling all around me as well. I could tell that most of the people in the crowd not only enjoy the bands music, they also can’t help but fall for the charming innocence of the three boys who make up the band as well. Wallows puts on a great show because they’re great musicians, but even if they weren’t it’d be hard not to have a good time while watching the band on stage having the time of their lives.

Wallows make their way to Boston

Mark my words: DUCKWRTH is going to be huge. There’s absolutely no one in the rap game like him right now. He can sing, rap, dance and write – and does it all with great charisma. Whether he’s releasing an album, mixtape or EP he keeps things exciting and fresh, making for an entertaining listen all the way through. His newest release 

 has only 8 songs, but that’s all it takes for him to prove his worth.

The project begins with “BOW,” a short intro track that starts off slow and sensual with the lyrics “I just wanna serve you / I wonder, are you satisfied?” However in the second verse DUCKWRTH picks up a much faster and more aggressive flow that carries on into the next song “FALL BACK”. 

 manages to find perfect balance between tranquility and intensity. There are tracks like “KING KING” and “NOBODY FALLS” which have pretty laid-back vibes, while others such as “LOVE IS LIKE A MOSHPIT”, “SALLIE MAE” and “A WILDFIRE” are filled with much more fierceness. My personal favorite has to be “SOPRANO”, which gives listeners a brief taste of DUCKWRTH’s soothing and soulful singing voice before the chorus, where the track begins to take on the body of a more typical rap song.

Most of the time an album (or EP in this case) either has a great sound or tells a great story, but it can be hard to both of those things in the same place. Even though he doesn’t have the status and recognition of an artist like Kendrick Lamar, who’s known for doing both so well, I would confidently say that’s mastered the art on the same level. While he’s 

 that he’s not concerned with how popular he is, the story DUCKWRTH tells on 

 examines the parallels between royalty and modern day fame, exploring the journey of going from a “normal” artist to a king of sorts. It’s easy to look at the rising stars of today and classify them as a different breed, super-human somehow. With the way that social media and the internet allows artists to skyrocket into international fame overnight, DUCKWRTH worries that he could fall back into the ranks of averageness just as quick. After all, he’s only human like the rest of us. While the song “KING KING” happens to be a bit braggy, DUCKWRTH is actually quite transparent about his fears on it, confessing “Insecure really, I’m lyin’ out my fuckin’ teeth / If you don’t play my words and beats, then I don’t eat”. One of the things I love most about “SOPRANO” is that it’s so upbeat and fun that it takes a few listens to actually process the lyrical content. “SOPRANO” is one of the most analytical songs on the EP, criticizing the obsession of fame that we seem to have as a society. With lyrics like “How the fuck am I supposed to breathe / When there’s so much bullshit all around? (You can’t) / Trappin’, trappin’ got you trapped / But it’s okay because the beat got a bangin’ sound” DUCKWRTH is addressing a huge problem in popular culture, one that prioritizes clout over far less trivial things, like health and wellness.

This review would be incomplete without mention of the 

 that accompanies the EP. The film not only strengthens the themes DUCKWRTH explores in his lyrics, it is a visual manifestation of his versatility and talent as not just an artist but also as a human. DUCKWRTH is a prime example of what rap could be. It’s so important for artists like him continue to make music that doesn’t fit the molds that society has formed for the genre. If they do, they can open up the doors to a world where black artists are allowed to experiment and create freely, an opportunity which is not always easily afforded to them.

DUCKWRTH’s new album is proof of his greatness

Many associate the name Dylan Minnette with Netflix’s hit show “13 Reasons Why,” but if you’re cool you know that he’s also a musician. Minnette and childhood friends Cole Preston and Braeden Lemasters have been performing together for over a decade but only recently started releasing music as Wallows. They released their debut single “Pleaser” in 2017, and since then fans have only gotten a handful of other singles and one EP. Finally, the wait is over as Wallows have released their first full-length album, 

Wallows provides a fun and easy listen on 

. From the opening chords of the first track “Only Friend,” you can tell what the sound of the whole album will be. This could be seen as a bad thing, as no one likes listening to a repetitive album, but fortunately that’s not the case here. The band does a fantastic job of creating a cohesive sound throughout all eleven tracks, cleverly integrating each song into others, helping the album flow together smoothly.

On paper there really isn’t anything that makes Wallows special. They’re one of many indie-rock bands where young adults sing sad songs that sound happy, using music to navigate the start of adulthood and be nostalgic for their teenage years. I probably have at least twelve other albums on my phone that have the same vibe. Once you actually listen to them though, none of that matters. Their ability to take simple melodies and turn them into infectious instrumentals you can’t help but jam out to gives Wallows the edge they needed in order to stand out.

is 39 minutes of feel-good music where not a single song feels out of place. Catchy tracks “Are You Bored Yet?” featuring Clairo and “Scrawny” were perfect choices for singles, setting expectations for the rest of the album to be just as good. Another highlight from 

 is “Worlds Apart”, a dreary track about a broken relationship that picks up towards the end with intense drums and then suddenly stops without warning. My personal favorites are “Remember When,” a fast-paced track that I guarantee you’ll end up nodding your head along to and “I’m Full,” a previously released song from 2014 when the group was performing as The Narwhals. While all these songs are great, none compare to “Do Not Wait.” Serving as the album’s final track, Wallows goes above and beyond in this 6-and-a-half-minute song, packing in a plethora of different sounds and some heavy emotions.

The album’s overarching themes of growing up and moving on are epitomized on “Do Not Wait”, with lyrics like “All the things you don’t wanna let go / You wanna look back on and recall / All the times that feel like everything / When nothing really happens at all” reflecting on the band’s reluctance to leave their past behind to begin a new chapter in their lives. Following the second chorus there’s also a deeply personal spoken word bridge that Minnette delivers with Lemasters singing “nothing happens” in between each line. Ultimately, the song ends with an instrumental that fades to the same guitar riff that opens the album, allowing everything to resolve itself beautifully.

It’s exciting to see a relatively new band put so much effort into their first LP and it’s even more exciting to see that effort pay off. Wallows could have played it safe on 

 by creating an album that sounded the same as their previous music. Instead, they let us know that we have yet to witness the full scope of their capabilities, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Wallows prove their worth on their debut LP

Stella Donnelly first emerged in the fall of 2017, amidst the surge of the #MeToo movement, with her debut single “Boys Will Be Boys.” It was a startling coincidence that such an intimate song by the Australian artist would resonate with many in the US, a country that was only facing the start of bombshell reports against a series of male celebrities. Two years later, the song is still unfortunately relevant, and Donnelly has shown no sign of stopping her pursuit to expose and confront predatory men. On her debut LP 

, Donnelly proves herself as a champion for the safety and stability of women, utilizing personal stories to create a listening experience that is both surprisingly humorous and strongly empathetic.

The opening track “Old Man” pulls no punches in its unflattering portrayal of white-collar men, and Donnelly is proud to establish herself as someone who isn’t afraid to confront them. “Oh, are you scared of me old man?” she whispers tauntingly in the song’s chorus. What makes the track more unsettling is its chipper electric guitar riff and folksy melodic structure. It’s as if Donnelly is confident enough in her message to juxtapose her lyrics and music. Other songs continue with this theme, like the playful sounding “Tricks,” a sarcastic ode to douchey Australian boys who wear “southern cross tattoos.” On “Watching Telly,” Donnelly attacks the patriarchal society that tapes “dollar signs to our bodies / And tell[s] us not to show our skin.”

Stitched into the overall feminist message of 

 are slower, somber tracks that focus more on personal relationships, touching on themes of heartbreak. Given how open Donnelly has been about telling stories that relate to her own life, these tracks don’t take away from her brash outspokenness but expand upon it instead. On “Allergies,” Donnelly’s voice is shaky and imperfect as she recounts the aftermath of a breakup. While it may not sound very polished, the song is earnest in its expression of failed love.

Whether she’s being frank about self-pleasure in the track “Mosquito” (“I use my vibrator wishing it was you / I was thinking of ya Tuesday afternoon”), or honestly admitting the horrors of family get-togethers by way of “Season’s Greetings,” Donnelly’s debut captures a full range of emotion that a woman feels in a patriarchal society.

It’s refreshing and somewhat disconcerting that someone’s individual stories can relate to such a wide audience, but it’s also a testament to Donnelly’s stellar knack for storytelling. She tells tales that have strong and clear messages, but not all have concrete endings. “Boys Will Be Boys” melodically ends on an incomplete phrase, but Donnelly’s memorandum is loud and clear, and signals that her personal story is not over. “I will never let you rest,” she speaks directly to men who know they have something to hide. “Time to pay the fucking rent.” It’s a discomforting line for men to hear, but Donnelly knows that, and so do many women around the world.

Stella Donnelly makes powerful and personal debut with ‘Beware of the Dogs’

Ariana Grande has had a rough couple of years. Beginning with a terrorist attack at her concert in Manchester in May 2017, it’s been a bumpy ride for her ever since. After taking some time away to deal with the aftermath of such a traumatic event, Grande returned to the spotlight in April 2018 with the release of her single “no tears left to cry.” This seemed to mark the beginning of a new era for Ariana, but unfortunately, her bad luck didn’t stop there. The death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller put a major strain on her relationship with comedian Pete Davidson, and the couple ultimately decided to end their engagement. It hasn’t all been bad for her, though. In August, she released her fourth album, 

, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and even helped her secure her first Grammy award.

While Grande has typically waited a year or two in between album releases, she’s already back only 6 months later with another album. Titled 

 seem like it was the appetizer and this is the main course. Ariana released the lead single “thank u, next” last November amidst speculation surrounding the details of her failed engagement, and the song was an instant hit. “thank u, next” earned Ariana her first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and definitely set the tone for how the rest of this album would do.

 was and more. Everything from Grande’s vocals to infectious beats is more polished on 

, and the emotional depth of the lyrics reaches levels of honesty and vulnerability that artists often don’t share with the public. Undoubtedly the song that showcases this best is “ghostin.” The heartbreaking track gives us a look inside Ariana’s mind during one of the hardest times in her life. Detailing the strain put on her relationship with Davidson after 

, Grande expresses sentiments like, “Though I wish he were here instead / Don’t want that living in your head / He just comes to visit me / When I’m dreaming every now and then.” She also shows the appreciation she felt at the way Pete handled the situation, singing “You been so understanding, you been so good / And I’m puttin’ you through more than one ever should / And I’m hating myself ‘cause you don’t want to / Admit that it hurts you.” Additionally, tracks like “fake smile” and “in my head” explore other struggles Ariana has recently had to face, like trying to put on a brave face for the public when, in reality, she felt like her whole world was falling apart.

 is yet another component that makes it some of Grande’s best work. Regardless of the mood or tone of each song, they flow into each other effortlessly without all sounding like the same track. To combat the downcast vibe of the aforementioned songs, Ariana shows that she’s still finding ways to have fun on tracks like “NASA” and “7 rings.” The latter song was released as the third single from the album, and following the hype of “thank u, next,” it earned Ariana another #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. “7 rings” is a trap-infused banger that blends pop with R&B over a bass-heavy beat while Grande boasts about her fame and wealth. While she received some criticism for her bragging, Ariana revealed on Twitter that writing this song along with the rest of 

 was a coping mechanism for her during everything she’s been going through. Something else to take into account is that after Ariana released “thank u, next” with only a few days’ warning she said she wanted to 

release music in a similar fashion to the way rappers do

. She makes fair points about female pop artists being held to certain standards and being expected to handle their career in a “professional” manner, while these same expectations don’t seem to apply to rappers. Rappers also constantly get away with making songs bragging about money and status, and “7 rings” seems more like Ariana trying to mimic that trend rather than actually flaunt her money.

Putting out two albums in the span of six months is a big risk to take, but luckily for Ariana, she couldn’t have made a better decision. She’s obviously been feeling a lot of strong emotions lately, and with this album, she was able to masterfully channel those emotions into some of the most powerful music she’s ever made.

Ariana Grande confronts her painful past on ‘thank u, next’

It seems Little Mix are entering a new era, as news broke earlier this month that they were parting with Syco Records. 

was released by RCA just 6 days later, the perfect way to introduce the world to the new and improved Little Mix.

In 2011 Little Mix became the first group act to ever come in first place on The X-Factor. Not the first girl-group, the first 

. Period. For years their potential to reach the status of other girl-groups like Destiny’s Child or the Spice Girls was overlooked by their label in favor of milking boyband One Direction for all they were worth.

Fans hoped that when 1D officially went on hiatus in 2015 that they would finally be rewarded for the hard work and effort they’d put in, but things stayed more or less the same. They continued to prosper in the UK, with their fourth album 

reaching #1 and going triple platinum, yet most of the US was hardly aware of them beyond a few hit singles (

peaked at 25 on the US charts, the lowest a Little Mix album has ever charted here).

was released by RCA just 6 days later, the perfect way to introduce the world to the new and improved Little Mix. The album opens with ‘The National Manthem’, a 30 second long introduction that sets the scene for the rest of the album. All four girls sing together in perfect harmony, “She is a bad bitch / Made up of magic / Pray to the goddess / Don’t break your promise / Thou shall be faithful and honest” letting us know right from the start that 

is all about feminism and embracing yourself as a woman.

They exude love and pride for their womanhood throughout the whole album, with tracks like ‘Woman’s World’ and ‘Joan of Arc’ sending empowering messages to their largely female fanbase. The pre-chorus of ‘Joan of Arc’ ends with a male voice asking “Oh, you on that feminist tip?”, having Little Mix respond “Hell yeah I am!” before leading into the chorus, singing “I don’t need a man / If I’m loving you it’s ‘cause I can / I don’t want your cash / I put my own rock on my hand”.

Possibly even more powerful than womanhood, Little Mix have always been about sisterhood. They’ve spoken about their relationships with one another several times over the course of their career, and every time they seem to have an even tighter and more unbreakable bond. Nothing highlights this sentiment better than ‘Told You So’, an acoustic, bittersweet song about supporting a friend after a breakup.

This is not the first time Little Mix have included an ode to their friendship on an album, with many calling ‘Told You So’ a more mature version of ‘Always Be Together’, a track about friendship from their first album 

. ‘Told You So’ reads like a conversation between the girls that they’ve been gracious enough to share with the rest of us, reassuring one another that no matter what happens in their romantic relationships they’ll always have each other’s backs.

The album’s last track ‘The Cure’ seems to serve as a companion piece to ‘Told You So’, wrapping up the album with a sense of finality that seems inspired and hopeful. In the chorus Little Mix harmonize together, “I was a little messed up, but I’m not anymore / I was a little locked out, but I’m not anymore / I was a little far gone, but I’m not anymore / Yeah, it’s alright now, baby, I got the cure”. They end the album with a positive outlook on the future, leaving their fans waiting to see what will come next.

Little Mix releases full-length ‘LM5’

No Beyoncé album is as paradoxical as her third studio album 

. Despite receiving mediocre reviews, it still went #1 on the US Billboard 200 and went triple platinum, selling 3.25 million units. With four out of nine singles from the album making it to the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100, 

heavily contributed to Beyoncé solidifying her spot as a musical legend. It’s hard for me to classify anything Beyoncé’s released as bad, partially because I’m biased but also because I truly believe she’s one of the greatest artists and performers of all time. But in her attempt to create a double album that displayed her different identities, Beyoncé forced two contrasting sounds to compete with one another, and it didn’t work in the way she intended it to.

There’s no denying that the singles from this album skyrocketed Beyoncé onto another level of stardom, with ‘Single Ladies’, ‘If I Were a Boy’, and ‘Halo’, being some of her most iconic songs of all time. For the next few years, those songs and more were played at every school dance and birthday party, in every mall, and of course on every radio station. ‘Single Ladies’ continued to appear on charts in several countries all the way into 2014, six years after its initial release. She was pumping out hit after hit, and listening to them now is still just as enjoyable as when I was a kid hanging around my house with friends, singing and dancing along in the most embarrassing and cringey way imaginable. The leading singles from 

are actually what caused me to become a Beyoncé fan in the first place, and despite Beyoncé being seven months into her marriage with Jay-Z, ‘Single Ladies’ took over the world in a way I’d never seen a song do in my short life.

Along with the rest of the world I fell at Beyoncé’s feet, praising the ground she walked on and worshipping her as the powerhouse that she is. Ten years later I’m just as devoted to her (if not more), but I can still look back on her work with a critical eye and admit that some ideas didn’t work as well as they were intended to. Unfortunately, one of those was the idea of making 

a double album. In most cases, double albums are used as a way to include more tracks than would typically be found on a regular album, but Beyoncé was looking to separate her album rather than just extend it. 

was designed to serve as two records, with one side representing the personal life and feelings of Beyoncé while the other was her bad-ass alter-ego named Sasha Fierce. The 

side consists of slower, emotional ballads like ‘Halo’ and ‘If I Were a Boy’ that do a fantastic job of achieving a sense of intimacy between Beyoncé and her listeners. But by the time you get to ‘Save the Hero’ (if you can even make it that far), you’re either half asleep or bored out of your mind. Thankfully you’ll get a wake-up call when you get to 

and ‘Single Ladies’ begins, but once again you end up listening to a collection of songs that essentially say the same thing over and over. The saving grace of the 

side is that at least you can dance along to it, making it easier to ignore the lack of lyrical progression.

At the end of the day, Beyoncé had a vision for 

and it didn’t end up being executed in the way she had hoped. However, despite this, the album is a testament to her incredible vocal abilities and had a strong impact on the ongoing success of her career.

Beyoncé’s ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’ turns 10

Between his soft-spoken voice and the range of instruments he includes in his songs, Novo Amor creates genuinely beautiful music that is hard not to enjoy.

When I was first introduced to Novo Amor a few months ago I was immediately enchanted by his sound. A mix of indie rock and folk, he has major Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons vibes going on and I’m 100% here for it. Although he doesn’t have a very lengthy discography, everything he’s released so far has been pleasant and calming to listen to.

Born Ali John Meredith-Lacey, Novo Amor is an extremely talented musician from Wales. In his debut solo album 

, he shows off his array of musical abilities by using a variety of instruments, but he definitely seems to favor the guitar and piano. In anticipation of the release of 

 I listened to some of his past work, trying to get a feel for what to expect out of him for a full-length album. My expectations were met in every way. As soon as the first track ‘Emigrate’ began, I entered a state of pure serenity, feeling like I was laying down in a soft field with fairy lights twinkling above me.

While the lyrical content of most of his songs wasn’t exactly relatable to me, I still found myself being able to enjoy the album just as much as I’ve enjoyed albums that I could connect to on a deeper level. In the past I’ve often looked to the lyrical substance of songs and albums as a way to measure their emotional depth or level of passion, but as I listened to 

, an album that is more instrumental than lyric-focused, I realized I was missing out on an entire world of great music. On most of the tracks I couldn’t even tell what Lacey was saying half the time, but there was still something that drew me in and kept me invested throughout the entire album. 

 seemed to have an unexplainable effect on me. I’m not someone who typically feels in tune with nature’s elements, but there was something about Novo Amor’s music that sounded very raw and organic. It completely hypnotized me, and made me feel like an entirely different person.

 to pretty much anyone who listens to music, regardless of their genre preferences and tastes. Between his soft-spoken voice and the range of instruments he includes in his songs, Novo Amor creates genuinely beautiful music that is hard not to enjoy.

Novo Amor hypnotizes listeners with ‘Birthplace’

As an avid fan of The Neighbourhood and someone who was waiting eagerly for the follow-up to their 2015 album 

listening to their new self-titled album the first time around was an experience that can only be described as painful. While wallowing in the angst-filled lyrics and melodies of their music may have been a therapeutic way to spend a few “edgy” high school years, after two full-length albums and a handful of EPs and mixtapes the effects of their melancholy sound start to wear off. While I will admit that by the fourth go around it grows on you a bit, you’re still left feeling empty and disappointed. Their prior work has always had a depressed and mopey sound, but it connected with listeners because it felt genuine whereas now the darkness feels almost forced. All the way from the first chords of ‘Flowers’ to the last track ‘Stuck with Me’ the album falls flat, with only a couple of exceptions that still feel pretty bland in comparison to most of their other work.

The album consists of ten tracks, four of which come from their previously released EPs 

, and the “deluxe” edition just includes the six tracks from the EPs that weren’t included on the standard edition. The actual album content is a mix between songs about frontman Jesse Rutherford feeling inadequate and powerless in his relationship and songs where he criticizes his critics. Regardless of the differing themes the album discusses, the songs still seem to be expressing similar emotions like doubt, sadness, or irritation, which have become common themes across The Neighbourhood’s discography. One element 

 seems to lack, however, is the sense of devotion to the music they’re creating that was very clearly felt in the past. Maybe it’s because this time around Jesse focuses on his current relationship rather than reflecting on past failed ones, but whatever it is something certainly feels missing.

 album, it just lacks an energy and passion from the band that fans have come to love over the years. There are a few tracks, though, such as ‘Revenge’ and ‘Softcore’ that feel more like their past work sound-wise, with the latter song even using some of the same chord progression that can be heard in ‘Wiped Out!’ from their previous album. Perhaps the point of the album was to emphasize how much Rutherford doesn’t care about making the kind of music people want him to, but unfortunately for him that’s how you sell records. There is nothing about this album that sets it apart from any other alternative or indie rock album. The beats, instruments, and voices are all nice, but it goes from track to track without any care for making a lasting impression on listeners, and after hearing the entire album 7 full times I still can’t differentiate one song from the next. As a fan of music I’m disappointed, and as a fan of The Neighbourhood I’m wary of whatever comes next.