These kids are surely gonna make it, although I am way too old to enjoy a boy band of this age! Most of these guys looked like they were in their teens (may be the singer was a little bit older?), they just looked barely the Justin-Bieber-age, but here they were, playing what could be the big pop hit of your next summer or even sooner.
The Neighbourhood (yes with a u) had these hook-the-crowd melodies infused with indie pop and R&B, a little dreamy, a little nostalgic and well served by the soulful voice of their frontman Jesse James Rutherford, whose body seemed to be covered by tattoos. His voice was not very powerful and sometimes a little buried in the music, but it was just the kind of croon between hip hop delivery and sweet R&B vocals ready to seduce young girls and their moms.
The quintet was playing at Bloomfest LA on Saturday, and lots of young girls had gathered around the stage, asking for the song ‘Sweater Weather’; however they played another of the audience's favorite instead, a song called ‘Wires’ and a combination of several things, probably more pop than hip hop, but showing a strong potential with the undulating dance moves it was producing in the crowd.
The songs were built around Rutherford's abundant ooo-oooos, and even a few ‘fuck you anyway’ in the lyrics couldn’t bring the melodies away from their gentleness. Yes, it was certainly not aggressive, just with a touch of bluesy guitar here, a wink to rap culture in the beginning of a song and lots of poppiness wrapping the meandrous music.
I read these guys have already a song, ‘Female Robbery’, which is big in the UK, whereas they are from here, California! They have already released an EP ‘I’m sorry’, but seemed to have much more songs than that.
As I said, I am too old to like a boy band! There were too many ‘Let’s go’ and attempts to make the crowd clap along but young people loved their pop songs, which sounded like old ones updated with youthful rhythms. Watch out for this Neighbourhood soon.