NEW RELEASE REVIEW: “Welcome to the Neighbourhood” by Boston Manor

Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest Linkedin Reddit

Progression is natural, and a band that has progressed beautifully is Blackpool’s Boston Manor with their sophomore record ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’ dropping today. The album starts with a bang with a major synthy representation that we haven’t really seen from the band in full effect in the past. When I first listened to the album, I was a bit unsettled into the first few tracks but that second listen around it just hit me majorly. Especially when reading about the fact that this album could be considered a concept record. The band conceptualized a fictional version of Blackpool where they’ve grown up and made that a setting for their songs to take place in.

As I continued listening to the record, I started to imagine the songs being performed and the album really started to come to life for me. While it seems to be a bit of a more mainstream rock appeal with this record, you can still hear Boston Manor in the tracks with early favorites being ‘Halo’, ‘Bad Machine’ and ‘Flowers in Your Dustbin’. The album has some dark moments interlaced into the album with ‘If I Can’t Have It No One Can’ and gives a much more noir feel then what we’ve heard before. Influences like Enter Shikari and Twin Atlantic come to mind a lot on this album and not in a bad way.

To end off the album comes easily one of the slowest tracks I’ve seen from Boston Manor, ‘The Day I Ruined Your Life’ and makes a return to the synthy nature that we started with. This record is beautifully done and a great sophomore release for one of UK’s newest treasures. Already picturing what these songs will be like live. It makes us real stoked for their set opening up for Real Friends this fall. Really intrigued to see which songs will have their turn in this tour’s set and could definitely imagine a full play set if the band decides to do so on their hopefully soon to come much anticipated headlining run when that moment comes.

About Author

Colleen

Colleen has been writing about music since 2009. Interviewing bands since the glory days of Warped and has continued to do so for now over fourteen years. As well as doing freelance for other publications, the love for everything rock continues today.