The Neighbourhood Drops Sinister (And Seductive) Surprise EP 'Hard': Listen

Since The NBHD’s debut, a dark moodiness has become a band signifier, infiltrating their divergent, hip-hop heavy #000000 & #ffffff mixtape and seeping into their recent full-length with further emotional intrigue. But now on Hard, Rutherford hauntingly trills something even more artistically frigid, as if the gust of an ice storm sends him to detached introspection on tracks like stand-out opener “Roll Call,” “Noise,” and “Sadderdaze” while he evaluates exactly who he aspires and refuses to be. Over echoing production that turns Rutherford’s vocals into a hallucinogen, as well as slinky, rhythmic instrumentation -- even immaculate string sections -- the reflective songs evoke a sinister sensuality.

Even with the EP’s hardness, tracks like “You Get Me So High” and “24-7” see the group dwelling in a more positive light, evaluating relationships over shimmering electronic work -- a possible new sphere for the SoCal outfit that have proven they refuse to mold to a single genre.

Malleable and moody, Hard is The NBHD’s Cali cool at its best -- inspiring imagery of the group cruising along the coastline, smoking a blunt -- as they come up through the haze to reveal where they are going next, while they seduce with their newest project.

Listen to the Hard EP below.

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