Review: The Neighbourhood’s New Album: Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones

Gracie Warda ‘24 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Indie music cult-favorite The Neighbourhood dropped their new album Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones on Sept. 25 of this year, their first album since 2018. This funky album greatly-anticipated by alternative music lovers around the world did not disappoint. 

If you’re a sucker for a good intro track, this album’s opening song “Chip Chrome” will capture your heart. The scale and eerily high tones of this instrumental set the album up for success.   

“Pretty Boy” and “Cherry Flavoured” stick out on this album as classic pop songs with The Neighbourhood’s twist. “Pretty Boy” tells a love story that anyone can relate to, and “Cherry Flavoured” pairs catchy lyrics with a solid beat, making them perfect go-to jam songs. 

“Hell or High Water” is a quick two minutes, and it’s reminiscent of the alternative rock cult-classic band Never Shout Never, but doesn’t lack The Neighbourhood’s signature sound, showcasing vocals and a catchy tune. 

A standout from this album was “The Mono-Tones,” which is unique from every other song on the album. The higher notes and easy lyrics make this a fun sing-along song. 

The largest complaint about this album was its length— but it’s arguably a good thing that listeners wanted this album to be longer. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, this definitely isn’t a time-killer, and is only a few minutes short of being an extended play (EP). However, it’s still easy to be impressed with the work that the band put into this short time span. 

When discussing this album, a friend told me that you have to know The Neighbourhood’s old music in order to appreciate how far they’ve come with their new music, and I couldn’t agree more. Those lovers of Wiped Out, I Love You and #000000 & #FFFFFF can appreciate the growth in the band’s new album, and can trace the evolution of their signature style. This gives Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones a whole new sentiment and creates a connection between the band and audience, making this album entirely worth the listen.