The Neighbourhood is back. Lorde is on tour. The 1975 is soft launching the announcement of not one, but two new albums. Grab your doc martens and reinstall tumblr because 2013 seems to be SO back.

I didn’t think the immaculate vibe of sitting in your teenage bedroom, scrolling through tumblr and listening to Sweater Weather would ever be reiterated. I never really imagined these tumblr bands to produce albums such as self titled by the 1975 or I love you again. Bands grow, sounds evolve, that’s understandable, in most cases even desirable. That’s why the Neighbourhood’s new album caught my attention within the first ten minutes of listening. After the band’s 5 years break, they returned back to the days when it all started. UltraSOUND doesn’t mimic I Love You, it encapsulates it. It evolves in the very same direction the debut album was headed, without even knowing it. It enhances it’s sound in the most naturally beautiful way. The band went full circle and followed their own very first recipe – Ultrasound is, at least in my eyes, their first record aged by 20 years.

They kicked off with the strongest tune Hula girl, which caught me absolutely off guard when I gave the record the very first listen. It has the typical TNBH mystical tone to it, fun lyricism and a huge live performance potential. Followed by OMG, Lovebomb and Private, I really love how they just put the biggest hits to the very start of the record. OMG offers an energetic kick to the new era, Private tunes in with the original melancholy, letting Jessie’s vocals really shine through the guitar riff.

The rest of the album doesn’t really get any better than these songs, but I couldn’t care less – after those first 15 minutes, I was already obsessed. Few more honorable mentions and my personal favorites are Rabbit for it’s grunge undertones and the best intro of the album, Daisy Chain for touching lyrics and Holy Ghost for the typical indie sound.

All in all, the album is a strong 8.5/10 and grows on me with every single listen. The whole slight aesthetic change surrounding it gives it the right vibe of a new era, whilst staying faithful to the original band’s personality. Because in the end, it’s hard to imagine the Neighbourhood ever changing, isn’t it.