Released in 2015, Wiped Out! is The Neighbourhood’s second studio album, and it made breakthroughs in the genre of alternative music. Peaking at Number 13 on the Billboard Top 200, it charted at Number 1 for the Top Alternative Albums in the US.
Work on the album’s concept and composition began in January 2015, and most of the material was recorded and developed in studios located in Malibu and Santa Monica. While speaking with Digital Trends, bandmate Zach Abels recalled, “We did the second half of the album at my mom’s house, where we originally wrote ‘Sweater Weather.’” Lead singer Jessie Rutherford said that the album’s title reflects the group’s internal struggles and exhaustion throughout the recording process.
The album itself is fantastic, and I would say it’s some of the best work done by The Neighbourhood, next to my personal favorite album, I Love You. Its songs blend a moody, atmospheric sound, with mixes of indie, R&B and pop.
The song “Cry Baby” is a reference to the struggles of overthinking, anxiety and the fear of commitment. The lyrics reflect how a person seems to be falling in love, even though they don’t want to. The line “I know I’ll fall in love with you… and that’s not what I wanna do” signals someone who’s afraid of the consequences of getting attached. They already know love will make them vulnerable, and they’re resisting that pull.
There is also a level of distrust between the two people in the relationship. When Rutherford sings, “I hope you won’t ever lie to me,” he represents a person who’s been lied to before or has had a pattern of relationships where trust has been broken. The vibe of the song itself is one that is similar to the message, and although it has an enthusiastic and uplifting tone, there seems to be a hidden darkness and desperation hidden in the instrumentals.
“Daddy Issues” is one The Neighbourhood’s most popular songs, not only on this album, but in the band’s entire discography, with nearly two billion streams on Spotify alone. The song experienced a huge surge in streams in late 2020, due to its popularity on TikTok, pushing it to record numbers and a continuous growth.
The song explores the themes of loss, emotional struggle, and a lack of a parental figure. Rutherford laments, “I know that you got daddy issues, and I do, too,” and he establishes a shared sense of loss and a connection between two people with similar experiences.
There also seems to be a quiet promise by the singer to his romantic partner: “And if you were my little girl, I’d do whatever I could do, I’d run away and hide with you.” It is as if the singer is offering to replace the role of his romantic partner’s father and give her what her father never could.
My personal opinion on this track is mixed. Although it’s a fan favorite and the meaning is intense, I don’t believe it’s the band’s best work, and it doesn’t necessarily deserve the attention it’s received.
But my favorite song on the album is the title track. The song starts off fast-paced and energetic, and yet the lyrics are the opposite. The words, “I don’t wanna be alone” are repeated throughout the first verse, and then there is an immediate change after the chorus.
The bridge moves away from the fast-paced beginning and descends into a euphoric yet chaotic vibe. The singer reflects on “thinking about death” and how the other people around him pretend like they understand what is going on, yet they never truly can.
Then towards the middle of the song, there is a powerful and intense guitar solo that eventually builds, once again, into a rapid and chaotic tone. The guitar then becomes distorted, and turns into a siren-like sound, surrounded by screaming and arguing in the background.
The song ends with an outro that is similar to the intro, where the singer talks about how he is “never satisfied” and how he is “going crazy.” A commenter on YouTube said, “That one part of the song is like the sound of fear.” This track has also been compared to other alternative works of the era, such as Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey and Trench by Twenty One Pilots, especially for its similarities in referencing violence, drugs and self-harm.
Overall, I think this album is a must-listen, and one of the greatest alternative works in music history. And if you like Wiped Out!, you should also check out Ultraviolence and AM by Arctic Monkeys.
