“Wiped Out!” is the third official album release from California band, The Neighbourhood. The band consists of lead singer Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, bassist Mikey Margott, and drummer Brandon Fried. At the time the album was released, Bryan Sammis, the founding drummer, Bryan Sammis had already been replaced.

The album is largely about love and the emotions that come with it. This can range from joy to depression to dependence. This album touches on a large amount of themes under the same general theme of love.

1. Prey: 9/10

This song is about how the artist feels like he is prey in a relationship. He feels that the tension within his relationship is too much for it to continue much longer. He sings “Something is off, I can’t explain” showing how the relationship has fallen apart over time and has led to a toxic setting where he feels like prey where he should feel safe. The song ends with the repetition of “I don’t wanna fight,” which can indicate the end of this toxic relationship.

2. Cry Baby: 10/10

“Cry Baby” is about the singer trying his hardest to change for a girl that he likes but is trying not to fall for. The lyrics beautifully explain the feelings of unintentionally falling in love, but preparing to be hurt. He also states “I hope you won’t ever lie to me and if you do, I know I won’t be your cry baby” showing that despite his love, he won’t give up his time for someone who would intentionally hurt him.

3. Wiped Out!: 8/10

This is one of the more emotional songs on this album. The intro of the song powerfully describes how the singer feels as if he doesn’t belong. This transitions into a rap-like verse about the artist’s thoughts regarding his depression and alienation. The song has a strong meaning, but the instrumental parts in the middle kind of kill the whole vibe of the song. This song does blend three genres really well, but due to the sirens interrupting the song, I feel as if it is hard to rate it higher than 8/10.

4. The Beach: 10/10

This story of dependency is a powerful and sad one. The song starts off very strong with the line “If I told you that I loved you, tell me, what would you say?” This introduces the storytelling in the song that continues heavily throughout. The chorus is easily the most memorable part of the song. The incredible vocals and transitions into the verses after it makes it stand out as one the best songs on the album.

5. Daddy Issues: 10/10

“Daddy Issues” may seem like an interesting title for a song, especially one about addiction, dependency, and depression. This is the most streamed song on the album and is easily in my top 5 The Neighbourhood songs. The song is much more gentle than some of the other songs on the album. This, paired with the emotional storytelling is likely what makes it one of the band’s most popular songs.

6. Baby Came Home 2/ Valentines: 7/10

Storytelling is the savior of this song. This is my least favorite song on the album, but the lyrics feel straight out of a novel. If you like slower songs that are mostly acoustic, this is probably a song for you. I think it stands out from the rest of the songs as the one that goes against the common style. I do think that the change of instrumentals throughout does the same damage to this song that it did to “Wiped Out!” but it is still a good song.

7. Greeting From Califournia: 10/10

Very different from the rest of the songs, this is my favorite song on the album and takes a solid second place for my favorite The Neighbourhood song of all time. The opening line of “Hands up, it’s a stickup” provides a major change from everything else on the album. The more aggressive lyrics paired with the still fairly mellow rest of the song make this one of the most unique songs that I have ever heard. The whispered lyrics also make the song sound very eerie in certain parts.

8. Ferrari: 8/10

This song opens like it would be a classic rock song. The heavy electric guitar paired with the vocal distortion makes the depressing lyrics seem minute. This sounds like the artist is fed up with the relationship problems he has had and is finally issuing his complaints about it.

9. Single: 9/10

Cute is the best word to describe this song. This feels like the kind of song someone would write for their girlfriend or perform at a talent show when they’re young. The lyrics aren’t too extensive, but they still convey a strong message of love and desire for a specific girl.

10. R.I.P 2 My Youth: 10/10

This song about saying goodbye to the innocence and happiness of youth is a very heavy one to listen to. The artist sings about his family and the loss of his dad, as well as the loss of himself as he gets older. The intense beat of this song makes it sound a lot happier than the lyrics are. I think that this song really conveys just how creative the writer can be with the pairing of songs with their lyrics.