Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones / The Neighbourhood / September 25, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- Oct 2, 2020
- 2 min read
As anyone who follows The Neighbourhood (The NBHD) at all knows by now, their artistic sound is always in a state of evolution. On their fourth studio album, they take it a step further, as Jesse Rutherford brings to life his David Bowie-inspired persona Chip Chrome, a glittery grey character embodying the effects of fame and social media. And while the genre flips much more than once, the band portrays the themes surrounding their main character with a compelling sonic experience.
Fronting a large West Coast influence, a good amount of this album leans on this ‘80s synth-wave aesthetic that emotionally hits at the content of their songwriting. Often immersive and drifting in their mood, tracks such as “Pretty Boy” convey a beautifully crafted sense of desolation that befits the persona poignantly. The struggles and experiences that the band place onto the Chip Chrome character notably shape the tone of the album and emotional rawness of their songs in a positive way, where listeners can hear the parallel issues in the songwriting and Jesse’s spirited vocal delivery.
But as expected, The NBHD doesn’t stick to one sound at all, diving into a plenitude of styles that more or less contribute to the theme of the project. The band shifts smoothly through wicked-bass groove pop (“Devil’s Advocate”) and electronic-tinged acoustic (“Middle of Somewhere”), while the country-esque style doesn’t quite stick as strongly (“Hell or High Water”), but in general, the band shows a versatility that is enjoyable yet a bit convoluted. For a seemingly strong conceptual focus, the group constructs a fairly disjointed listen from front to back.
However, this doesn’t take away from the good amount of highlights that The NBHD has to offer on this record. The Chip Chrome and the Mono-Tones offer a full sensory experience that is hard not to be captivated by.
Best Track(s): Devil’s Advocate, Pretty Boy, Cherry Flavoured, Middle of Somewhere
Lowlight(s): Hell or High Water
SCORE: 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEp7gnM0Ms8
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