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After nearly four years of silence and anticipation, The Neighbourhood returns with (((((ultraSOUND)))))<\/em>, their first full-length album since 2020\u2019s Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones<\/em>. Spanning 15 tracks and 57 minutes, the record arrives as a carefully paced comeback, released alongside the announcement of an upcoming world tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n (((((ultraSOUND))))) <\/em>begins by intertwining many familiar sounds and tunes from their previous work, as lead singer Jesse Rutherford finally releases his dreamy electric voice back into the world. The album opens with \u201cHula Girl,\u201d a drum-heavy track posing as a perfect opener to revive The Neighbourhood\u2019s mix of alternative rock and R&B sounds. The drums maintain a consistent beat while giving Rutherford room to play around with vocal inflections in front of the layered instrumentals. He hazily sings \u201cDashboard hula girl, honey \/ Come and treat me like a crash-test dummy\u201d and \u201cAll my dreams, all my hopes \/ Out the window,\u201d hinting at themes of heartbreak and personal reflection yet to come in the later tracks, all while giving listeners hope and assurance that this album has been worth the four-year wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n The next four songs may cause some fans to waver in that hope. The beginning of the album feels like a slow-burn welcome to the drumbeats, synths and guitar riffs that have historically been essential to The Neighbourhood\u2019s name, as well as the slowly seeping in disappointment that the band has done little to expand beyond this sound. Yet, while this may be unappealing to some fans, a lack of musical reinvention going forward feels more personal: an ode to the band\u2019s past and journey to get where they are today.<\/p>\n The reflective mood \u201cHula Girl\u2019s\u201d lyrics establish remains consistent on the following tracks, both on a personal and romantic level. \u201cPrivate,\u201d the fourth track and a previously released single of the album, is peppered with lyrics such as \u201cShh, keepin\u2019 it private\u201d and \u201cAll that it takes is a taste \/ And we\u2019ll know what we should do \/ Too soon to say, better behave.\u201d Rutherford\u2019s past relationships<\/a> have been extremely public, the most well-known with influencer and model Devon Lee Carlson and singer Billie Eilish. This song can be seen as a journal-like reflection of Rutherford\u2019s past relationships and his realization that publicizing his romantic life is something to reconsider for his future relationships. The lyrics seamlessly blending into the hazy and dreamily-layered drum beats and guitar riffs that accompany his vocals.<\/p>\n