Boston Manor - 'Welcome To The Neighbourhood' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Welcome To The Neighbourhood

2. Flowers In Your Dustbin

3. Halo

4. England's Dreaming

5. Funeral Party

6. Digital Ghost

7. Tunnel Vision

8. Bad Machine

9. If I Can t Have It No One Can

10. Hate You

11. FY1

12. Stick Up

13. The Day I Ruined Your Life

Boston Manor are back with new album “Welcome To The Neighbourhood” which will be released on 7th September. It’s clear the five piece have changed their sound, here’s how it goes.

Starting with a Hip-Hop fuelled intro and title track - “Welcome To The Neighbourhood” its miles different from the fast tempo Boston Manor we are used to but we are just getting warmed up surely?! Spinning into bass heavy “Flowers In Your Dustbin”, it’s the first time we hear the new Boston Manor - electronics start flooding through. It’s almost like Boston Manor 2.0.

Up next is lead single “Halo” - this has for a more familiar sound but it’s obvious the lads from Blackpool have changed with the times. It’s massive chorus is something you cannot get out your head for days on end. Moving onto recent single “England’s Dreaming” - not about the World Cup. A track which showcases the pure talent of lead vocalist and song writer Henry Cox but you can’t help notice the influence producer Mike Sapone (Taking Back Sunday, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Envy On The Coast) has had on the band - the prefect position of lyrics and bridges is outstanding.

Time for edgy and “Funeral Party” brings just that, it’s deeper sound, screaming lyrics and breakdowns brings so much energy to “Welcome To The Neighbourhood”. If the album stopped here I wouldn’t be disappointed in the slightest. With still eight tracks to go “Digital Ghost” is next - a slow track which builds and builds until the huge sound of Pop-Rock kicks in, this album sees Boston Manor dip into various genres. “Digital Ghost” is a prefect example of the bands transformation but still keeping with the emotionally driven sound they have crafted over the years.

Keeping with the Boston Manor sound - “Tunnel Vision” is a track which has strong personal lyrics throughout. Time to slow things down with “Bad Machine” But it’s still holds a huge sound. Picking it back up with “If I Can’t Have It No One Can” the high tempo matched with smooth vocals makes it ready for a live performance. The hard hitting drums creates aggression which feeds into the track by the end with everything going into complete meltdown of heaviness.

Keeping that high tempo, high energy Rock “Hate You” takes you on a journey of going no where. It’s a bit of a throwback to the Pop-Punk days of the band, proving it never really goes out of fashion. Tidying up with “FY1” a small instrumental section and just as you thought it was slowing down...welcome “Stick Up” proving Boston Manor aren’t done yet. It’s sing a long chorus and huge riffs creates the prefect mix of old and new. Finishing off with “The Day I Ruined Your Life” it’s peaceful acoustics are refreshing. The full band come into the track but this is how you round up an incredible album - which I will be listening to on repeat for months on end.

“Welcome To The Neighbourhood” has created a new identity for the band. This album has not only pushed the barriers of Boston Manor but also for the industry and Rock music itself. Boston Manor have engineered album of the year.