The Neighbourhood has cultivated one of the biggest audiences in world with hits like “Sweater Weather,” “Softcore,” “Daddy Issues” and “Reflections.” It’s no wonder why they are currently the 59th most listened-to artist on Spotify, with 49.4 million monthly listeners and almost 17 billion streams in total.
After the massive success of their previous studio album in 2020, “Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones,” The Neighbourhood came out with their fifth studio album on Friday, Nov. 14, “(((((ultraSOUND))))).”
The album starts with “Hula Girl,” which is the type of song you play early on a random weekend when you are heading to the beach. From the simple mellow beat and calm vibes “Hula Girl” puts even the most emotional listener into a trance. The lyrics are light and they flow well with the beat, making the song tastefully restrained. “Hula Girl” is relaxing without putting you to sleep, which is very refreshing in today’s music industry.
“OMG” has a lot more energy than “Hula Girl.” The song has a beat that resembles a generic pop beat, but the electric guitar takes it to a whole new level. The best parts of the song are the first verse, the chorus and the instrumental outro, with a pop-punk vibe all around.
“Lovebomb” is too simple for my liking. From the generic-sounding beat to the lyrics that sound like they’ve been sung 1,000 times, “Lovebomb” is just another love song.
“Private” is too repetitive with the lyrics and the beat. The lyrics are repeated pretty much over and over again with a lot of sounds effects, while the beat is just a “boots and cats”-esque beat. “Private” just sounds too basic for a song in 2025.
“Lil Ol Me” gives me anxiety; like a lot of anxiety. The beat, which seems like it was made to be in a psychological horror movie, is jarring. The lyrics seem bland and creepy, which makes the song unlistenable from the start.
“Planet” has a very slow start, to the point where in future listens, I will skip straight to the much more energetic chorus. Then the bridge falls back to being boring before hopping back to the chorus. The outro is very repetitive which isn’t my favorite, but overall, it’s not a bad listen.
“Rabbit” is the definition of a song that is too slow for its own good; it’s too mellow for my liking. Though I don’t think “Rabbit” is good enough to listen to while awake, it is a good song to listen to while trying to take a nap.
My biggest issue with “Tides” is the chorus. The verses and beat are fine, but the chorus ruins it for me. The notes are held for too long and are in the same tone which is annoying to listen to. My favorite parts of the song are the pre-chorus and the bridge, but again, the chorus ruins it.
Another song that gets off on the right foot is “Zombie,” which has a nice, simple beat and good pace throughout the song. The chorus is really well-made and very catchy, which has me coming back for more every time.
“Mama Drama,” just like “Rabbit,” is another one that starts slow. Other than that rough start, it has decent pacing and a very mellow vibe. Although the lyrics are repetitive, they pair with the beat well enough that I want to continue listening. “Mama Drama” is definitely a good song to fall asleep to.
“Crushed” starts out a little weird but in a good way. Even though the beat is a bit mellow, the pace of the song is really good. The lyrics are kind of forgetful but overall aren’t bad. This would be a great song to study to during finals. The final song, “Stupid Boy,” starts out a little slow, but it pulls it back once the lyrics start. Although the lyrics are a little repetitive, the range and tone of the lyrics make “Stupid Boy” better than “Private.” The beat is also really catchy and reminds me of a song from a James Bond movie.
Overall, “(((((ultraSOUND)))))” has more hits than misses, with nine hits to six misses. Songs like “OMG,” “Stupid Boy,” “Daisy Chain,” “Mute” and “Hula Girl” help make an album that hits all the genres and themes. Although the album is plagued with songs that have slow starts or questionable pacing, the top songs greatly outweigh the worst songs, making this album very favorable in my mind.
Rating: 4/5