First things first: The Neighbourhood spells its name using the British spelling, not because its members are from the U.K. (they’re from California) but because they wanted to distinguish themselves from another band with the same name.
And they’re evidently committed to it now; a song off their 2015 record “Wiped Out!” is called “Greetings from Califournia.” (Even the Brits don’t do that!)
Spelling quirks aside, the band plays dreamy, poppy, neo-soulish rock. A line off of “Cry Baby” goes, “I think I try too hard,” which might speak to the band’s ambitions, their desire to be real, the appeal of excess, and their longing for making music that resonates and destabilizes people.
They’ve compared themselves to a boy band, and their biggest song, “Sweater Weather,” moves with a sleepy polished sound. It’s big-budget sensitive rock with an alt-hip-hop phrasing, ready for the masses. The band makes skillful use of warped and distressed sonic backgrounds, giving their songs a melodramatic seen-through-a-rainy-window appeal.
The Neighbourhood plays the College Street Theater, 238 College St., New Haven, Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27. 203-867-2000, collegestreetmusichall.com.
