California based band The Neighbourhood was formed in 2011 by vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, bassist Mikey Margott, and drummer Brandon Alexander Fried. The band gained worldwide popularity with the release of their 2013 album I Love You, featuring their hit song “Sweater Weather” which reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The band also released an album earlier this year self-titled The Neighbourhood. Following this album, the band released their EP Ever Changing on September 21st. Consisting of five songs, the style of Ever Changing differs quite a bit from the band’s usual alternative sound. When I think of The Neighbourhood, I immediately think of their indie and almost dark pop style, but this EP branches out into a variety of genres and goes beyond what we have heard from the band before.

The first track on the album, “Kill Us All”, features Denzel Curry and is definitely more hip-hop focused than what we are used to hearing. “Paradise” is probably the most similar to the group’s usual sound, but it still has some hip-hop influence to it. The EP also includes vocals from a few other hip-hop rappers such as IDK and Ghostface Killah. Ever Changing also has an electronic tone to it. I believe the band’s ability to combine elements of hip-hop and alternative rock to produce this EP truly reveals the band’s creativity. Introducing this new combination of genres is a bold move, but The Neighbourhood executed it extremely well. This different style could possibly help the band reach a larger audience and make their music more accessible.

The EP is the last installment of Hard to Imagine the Neighbourhood Ever Changing project which consisted of the EP Hard to Imagine, their self-titled album, and their newest EP. The idea behind this series was to have a constant flow of new music being released over a 12 month period from the band. Following the release of Ever Changing, The Neighbourhood has announced the dates for their upcoming tour. With the group’s innovative style and recent surplus of new music, I think we can expect The Neighbourhood to stay prevalent on the music scene for years to come.