The Neighbourhood Stay Dark and Sensual On "To Imagine"

The worlds of indie and alternative music are vast are always changing, and when they come together, only great things can happen. The Neighbourhood are no strangers to this idea, and are constantly pushing their sound forward through both avenues. Their new EP keeps that trend going. The Neighbourhood stay dark and sensual on To Imagine, relying heavily on atmosphere and big synths to keep the mood going.

To Imagine has an interesting progression to it that keeps it living well. The pulsing, tense synths of 'Dust' bringing the album to a heavy start, the industrial pounds and frantic sounds creepy and the vocals coming in just as eerily and distant. The processed vocals in the pre-chorus are a great touch, and the choruses comes in with an off-kilter drive that's still haunting but epic all the same. 'Scary Love' follows through with similar darkness but added sensuality, moving the theme forward.

To Imagine slowly becomes more sensual and soft as it goes, and the transition is so smooth that you may not even notice it. The EP's end, 'Stuck With Me' is much sweeter than the start of the record, but it reaches that point in such a way that it really could be the same song, just another part of it. Before it comes 'Compass,' which is similarly atmospheric to 'Dust' but much more blissful, like an ethereal sound instead of a haunting one. 'Heaven' really serves as the changing point of the record, channeling the minimalism of the best trap-rap songs and adding an indie flair such that it feels aggressive but intimate all at the same time, which summarizes the EP perfectly.

The Neighbourhood stay dark and sensual on To Imagine, adding a heavy electronic element to their typically dreamy music and progress in such a way that there's individuality in each song but the flow is fluid and smart. A great EP with a great sense of progression.

Favorite Tracks: Heaven, Compass, Dust

Least Favorite Track: Scary Love

Rating: 87 / 100

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