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Neighborhoods is six


Ixidor

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Nearing the 6th year mark since Neighborhoods was released, how are you guys feeling about the album (not necessarily compared to California)? Although being disjointed I still enjoy most songs and think that even an uninterested Tom, who is kept in check to an extent by Travis and Mark, is more satisfying to me than what we have now. He is just a more interesting songwriter/riff-writer for me. My life has changed so much and I have steered away from blink and many other bands/genres I was used to but somehow I cannot get past the filler stuff on California and I feel the album somewhat distant. And the fact that they now sound like any other pop-punk band rubs me the wrong way sooo much.

Even while typing this post, I managed to enjoy some large part of Neighborhoods (+UAN!) as semi-background music. Probably liked it even more than what I described but this is possibly due to the fact that I had not listened to it in ages.

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I was quite annoyed about Neighborhoods, initially. I found it too Tom heavy, and too AVAish in places. I loved Marks contributions more than Toms (Kaleidoscope and FTG are my two favourites on the record for example) and that had never happened to me before on a blink record. 

I wasn't a fan of some of the production, it definitely felt disjointed, but the main problem I had with the record as a whole was lyrics. Mostly issues with Tom's lyrical choices ( "Like a ferris wheel full of blue green eyes" "It's all static, just like my television" "God invented chills" basically all of This Is Home, there's loads more) but Mark had a few clunkers, like that stupid Helicopter line that everyone automatically jumps to. 

Overall though, I did love the record. it was a total mess, but it still had elements that felt like blink. it still felt like it was written by blink-182, just a not communicating very well blink-182 that didn't have a cats dance idea of what they wanted to sound like anymore. 

I think that the failures in direction and production on this record have given it such a negative slant that you kind of gloss over some genuinely good moments and songs on the record, because we just see it as the 'mistake' album. I adore Snake Charmer, for example. It's so maddeningly Tom and it's got some serious problems but despite it I love it to death. I love the chorus, I love the guitars, I love the creepiness of it, I adore the bridge it's just a great song. I think Hearts All Gone has some of Mark's best lyrics, and has an amazing chorus - Kaleidoscope is hands down one of my favourite blink-182 songs of all time because it's like a capsule example of everything I love about blink. It's got a fun interesting guitar part (seriously, I love the verse part, no idea why) it's got breath taking drums that just dominate the tonality, you've got interesting lyrics from Mark and a surprisingly somber feel, and then Tom kicks you in the ass with a chorus. it doesn't "sound" like traditional blink at all, yet it has the make up of everything I've ever loved about them - minus the humour. 

It's definitely low on my list when it comes to blink love, but it's still a solid effort and it's actually quite impressive considering the toxic relationship at that point. it's an album of lost potential, but it doesn't just leave disappointment. 

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Maybe the self titled album saw blink being in a toxic relationship as well but all three were invested in making it the greatest record possible. And this for me is the main difference. They seemingly weren't aiming for anything with neighborhoods, had little to no vision and just released it because they had to. Tom was kind of in, enthusiastic from time to time, but he had a million things going on and clearly blink was not a 100% priority. By 2011 he was out of ideas and mana musically, I think, based on what he released with AVA too. Mark tried to keep blink being blink but can't do it without Tom. Travis does what he does (seen this expression here and there on the boards), will always get the job done, but needs the other two. Tom is the only one believing he can carry blink along but in reality cannot because he is not committed and the other two will not let him be a dictator (rightfully so).

A producer would have helped immensely because Tom would've been a counterweight to Mark's more agreeing nature and acceptance of ideas (see Feldy), and would never be up for something he does not approve of. Which can be a good thing because, honestly, I cannot see Tom living with a lot of stuff that Feldy passed through on California. Stuff, which in the end, sacrificed blink's uniqueness.

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Neighborhoods interests me because given the context of the situation, it sounds exactly like the type of record they would have made at the time. Mark's quote about the album being called Neighborhoods because they each brought in their own tastes, comparing them to separate "neighborhoods," feels to me like a subconscious admittance of how disjointed and uncomfortable they all felt working together again.

There are some good songs on there, like Kaleidoscope and Heart's All Gone. But there are also some shitty moments, like some lyrics and the guitar sound. I think blink did a great job with the overall mood and sound, though. It feels different from other blink albums, including Untitled, in that way.

I would place it only slightly above California in terms of quality. They represent two extremes of the type of music the band makes, except in subpar quality. I think if context had been different, both records wouldn't be shadows of each side of the band's former self. 

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40 minutes ago, ...Dan... said:

One thing that has always got on my tits in this album is the guitar sound on the Mark recorded songs, so flat and dull.

Would have helped if the guitarist of the band recorded the guitar, instead of the bassist.

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Just now, Ghent said:

Would have helped if the guitarist of the band recorded the guitar, instead of the bassist.

Completely agree, Tom's guitar still sounded slightly better but both sounded average at best and complete wank at their worst. 

I was so desperate for them to get a producer after that release...and well, we all know what happened next...

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23 minutes ago, ...Dan... said:

Completely agree, Tom's guitar still sounded slightly better but both sounded average at best and complete wank at their worst. 

I was so desperate for them to get a producer after that release...and well, we all know what happened next...

Yeah I mean, Mark's parts themselves weren't bad - simple, but not bad - but the sound choices were terrible. MH is a great example of that, the main intro part actually has movement to it but its so fuzzy and muddy you can't actually make it out at all so it just sounds like a chord mess. 

A producer was necessary, but one that challenged and inspired them - not one that did the work for them. 

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I love Neighborhoods, but I had a weird revelation the last time I listened to it... I don't know most of the lyrics when Tom sings. It speaks volumes to the amount of "filler" lyrics Tom has had to make. He's got the riffs, got the chorus, but the verses are just filled with crap. And overall, I feel the same way about most of his AVA stuff, (i-Empire through Love 2 specifically). That just wasn't the case with with EOTS/TOYPAJ/Untitled for me, and you can say what you want about Cali but I know every damn word/whoaaaa on there.

After knowing what has transpired, it's almost eerie when I listen to Neighborhoods now. I listened to it loud on vinyl recently and you can almost hear how disjointed it is when the individual tracks are clearer. Then you get to songs that sound like individual ideas where the other person didn't even care enough to *try* on it. It's odd, but as Tom said in his Pursuit of Tone, if there is no disagreement/conflict then that usually means one person in the band is getting their way...and that the music will probably be too "safe". Overall I thought it was exactly how Blink in 2011 would sound, given their history/side projects.

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Neighborhoods has great replay value.  I actually was really terrified after Up All Night came out, didn't like it, but ended up enjoying the album for what it was.

After the Californias came out, it's become one of my favorites to listen to, because it completely contrasts it and does give an indie Blink vibe, really refreshing after all the saturated soulless stuff you hear on Cali. It did kind of have this raw edge to it too that you don't get from Blink ever.

Natives, Kleidescope are gems. Even like the unpopular ones like FTG, LID.

 

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7 hours ago, Ghent said:

Would have helped if the guitarist of the band recorded the guitar, instead of the bassist.

Definitely agree. Hasn't Mark recorded a couple of riffs before though? Not 100% sure but I'm sure I've heard stories of Mark recording a couple of songs on guitar from Dude Ranch & The Rock Show.

People are right about the tones though. The only time I think the dull/muddy guitar tone works is on Kaleidoscope. That song is very indie rock sounding. Also one of my favourite ever songs. I can see why Mark likes those dull tones. +44's album is full of them but obviously Jerry Finn was there to help out.

Like California, I have similar feelings about Neighborhoods, although I probably like Neighborhoods a little more. I also think despite similar feelings about Neighborhoods, they're polar opposites of each other. California is full of the woah crap. Neighborhoods is full of boring bridges. Both albums are predictable as hell once you get past 3-4 songs.

Love GOTDF apart from some of the lyrics. The bridge also is poorly mixed IMO, can barely hear anything. Just noise. Same with the chorus as well. Natives is great but the bridge bores me to death. Love Up All Night. Loved it when I heard it. Not changed my feelings about that song at all. After Midnight was one of those songs that I had high hopes for. Lyrically it's fine, literally everything is fine but the song is just a bit boring. Before it was first ever played, the bridge they played live sounded fucking great. Thought they were turning into a stadium rock band. Turns out it was just Tom improvising on the guitar and that the actual bridge is just boring.

The songs I love are Snake Charmer, Fighting the Gravity, Heart's All Gone and Kaleidoscope which is my personal favourite. Wishing Well is a superb song too but that bridge is a bit of a let down IMO. Still that fucking chorus. Catchy as hell. I actually like Love is Dangerous, but the lyrics are a bit crap in parts. MH is one of them songs that could've been great but the guitar tones etc make it boring. Still, I do like MH. Also would love blink to play that song live.

Never understood why most people on this board like Even If She Falls. Apart from the riff, that song is trash IMO. Can see what blink were trying to do with This Is Home. Poppy single, but the lyrics are bad and it's a rushed/filler track iMO.

The problem with Neighborhoods IMO is that the songs are individually great, but when you play them next to each other, you realise a lot of the bridges are similar. They either let octave chords ring out (GOTDF/Natives/Wishing Well), or just have a rhythm guitar playing power chords, sometimes palm muted (Snake Charmer/HAG/Kaleidoscope/MH/LID), or a lead guitar with clean tones (After Midnight/EISF). As an album, it sounds disjointed. Like Ghent says, doesn't help that Mark plays guitar on a lot of the songs either. On their own, these songs are great, but as an album, it gets repetitive & predictable.

Can't really compare Up All Night to them songs when it comes to the song structures. Least they never went for the typical bridge and went for some stadium rock outro or something. FTG is the only other song that follows a completely different method.

Like California, I've got a playlist of Neighborhoods songs, added in with songs from DED and a couple of AVA tracks. I probably listen to that playlist more than the California one I made. Still, for different reasons than California, Neighborhoods doesn't reach full potential.

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6 hours ago, Sebastián said:

Nice post! I read the whole of it - just like you did with my introduction. :)

I love "Snake charmer" too - since day 1. A very cool song - I've never understood why the band didn't play it in 2011-2014. (Maybe Mark/Travis didn't want too many Tom tracks on the set-list?)

Also, your take on "Kaleidoscope" is very interesting. I feel the same way about "Ghost on the dancefloor" - my all-time favourite by the band. Mark's are the loveliest background vocals I've ever come across, and Travis' drumming is so sexy. I play guitar, and obviously I haven't found Tom's parts especially interesting - he's done so much better. Otherwise, a perfect tune. That bass sound! :wub:

Indeed, playing the guitar part in "Kaleidoscope" is lots of fun. Are you a guitarist as well? How do you play it? (I like seeing other people's takes on things...)

 

I am a guitarist (and a bassist) but I am more acoustic based so I don't play much blink stuff. also because most of it is kind of boring. I have learned the kaleidoscope verse part before, it was definitely fun but I sure as hell can't remember it right now haha

I do like GOTDF as a whole, but I'm not fond of the guitars and a few of the lyrics are super clunky. 

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