English rock band Boston Manor has finally released their much anticipated sophomore album, “Welcome to the Neighbourhood.” This album was produced by Mike Sapone and features some of the best alternative tracks in recent memory. It is definitely a contender for album of the year for me.

As for sound or mood it definitely gives me a 2000’s rock feel in both the instrumentals and the lyrics, and while I was a bit skeptical at first, this album more than holds its own and is exactly what I love about this style of music. The opening track, “Welcome to the Neighbourhood” gives you a pretty good idea of what you’re in for throughout the entirety of this album. Most tracks give you a pretty dark feeling, but others like, “Flower in Your Dustbin”, “Halo”, and “Tunnel Vision” definitely take things up a notch with the overall flow of the song.

Something that you may also notice when listening to this 43 minute album is that it doesn’t always actually feel like it’s been that long. Almost every time I get towards the last few tracks, I find myself getting ready to start all over again and that is something that I really enjoy. Getting so lost in the music that you don’t even realize it has been a certain amount of time is enough to hook me for several listens. While it was very hard for me to pull out any negatives for this nearly perfect album, something that did bother me just a little bit is that some of the hooks feel somewhat underwritten. This isn’t something that I can say bothers me enough to make a big deal out of, but it is still something worth noting.

As for specific details that I noticed, some of the choruses throughout this album are very hard hitting and you can really feel the emotion in the singer’s voice. The drums and guitars were another key point I feel is worth mentioning as I don’t think I could imagine any of these songs without them. The instrumental track, “Fy1” is a perfect transition from “Hate You” to “Stick Up”. The closing track, “The Day That I Ruined Your Life” is definitely a favorite for me as it really tugs at your heartstrings and has some of the best vocals and instrumental work on this album. I can’t really say that there is a single song on this entire album that I skip over when it comes on, which is very rare for me.

This is an album that you will definitely want to check out when you get the chance, even if you’re not a very big fan of this style of music. It’s an experience that you will want to hear from start to finish no matter your taste in music.

“Welcome to the Neighbourhood”

Pure Noise Records

Released: 9/7/18

Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Tracks: Flowers in Your Dustbin, Halo, England’s Dreaming, Tunnel Vision, Hate You, The Day That I Ruined Your Life