Void (Single) - The Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood has had a busy past few months. Since September, they've released two EPs - Hard & To Imagine, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed & previously reviewed (click each EP name for links). Much to my surprise, they announced that they have a full length album coming out next month, which is self-titled (The Neighbourhood) and released a new single, "Void". This track is in the same veins as the previous two EPs, containing lots of synths and drum machines with Jesse Rutherford's vocals slowly coming in and taking the spotlight. There's definite 80's vibes, but it's also got a pulsing, sensual feel to it that differs it from the other single they released for To Imagine, "Scary Love". I much prefer "Void" to "Scary Love", as it has a bit more of a dark feeling, (not necessarily ominous but borderline for sure), mostly due to the bass synth that looms in the background. The vocals definitely take the focus of the song, with Rutherford utilizing the soft and vulnerable side of his voice that is one of the reasons I continue coming back to this band. I also very much enjoy the lyrics of the chorus:

"And now I need you to feel the vibe
I need you to see the point
I need you to feel alive
I need you to fill the void"

utilizing simple language to convey a very deep sense of struggle and need. Upon first listen, I thought the song was about a person or relationship, but I also realized it could be about an addiction, be it drugs, sex, or something else. And that realization made me think about how frightening that prospect is. That someone could be talking about a person or about an addiction (or even both things in one), and it's hard to discern what the real subject is. That a person or an addiction to sex or drugs could fill the same space within us, or that we could become so delusional or fixated to the point where we replace the love of someone with substance abuse, or with an idea of the person that replaces the person themselves. There's some definite postmodern ideas thrown around in there, a representation of something replacing the thing itself - something that can be all too common in our world still, despite postmodernism being more prevalent during the mid to late 20th century.

The song is a definite sign that the band is trying to move a different direction than their previous release, Wiped Out!, which largely consisted of these echoing sounds that built on each other to create huge soundscapes in the same way a rock band might riff and jam into big, open sections of songs. They managed to do this, however, with lots of electronic elements, which gave them a wider variety of tones and vibes that they could use and focus on. With this release, however, it's a more stripped down, more focused on smaller elements and giving them their own time instead of letting the sounds all mix together and create one huge, layered sound. I enjoyed Wiped Out! very much, but I also really have been enjoying the new sound and direction the band has been pursuing. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the rest of the album, besides the songs from the EP's that I've already heard and know I enjoy.

Rating: 4/5