Bad Neighbour drops new album ‘Burns From the X-rays'
- The Hot & Heavy Show
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Brisbane’s Bad Neighbour is an emo rock quartet made up of Cooper Riley (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Zoe Middleton (lead guitar/vocals), Liam Sumner (bass/vocals) and Jack Parkes (drums). The group has spent the last 2 years after their debut album ‘Millions’ curating a notable sound and image for themselves, which carries through their brand new album, ‘Burns From the X-rays’. The album takes influence from indie, rock and post hardcore elements that are blended seamlessly, creating a unique sound that is bound to resonate with a wide range of audiences through emotional and responsive lyricism. From supporting massive acts such as Hot Mulligan and Motion City Soundtrack, the Aussies are making a name for themselves in the scene.
‘Mean Faces’ starts off soft and melodic, introducing the heart wrenching lyrics that continue throughout the entire track. The song could be described as indie rock, borrowing metallic elements through the distorted guitars and post hardcore vocals, reminiscent of their seniors in Hot Mulligan. The male vocals from cooper come in the form of screams, spoken and smooth singing, making the song a saga of emotion, from sadness to rage and all in between.
‘Rush Apart’ is instantly heavier, with the growly vocals meeting a classic pop-punk riff. This song sounds like a 2000’s summer, heavy vocals and impressive guitar riffs flowing each verse to the chorus with grace and emotion, the drums help to maintain the rage consistent with the lyrics.
‘Snarling’ reveals the fresh side to Bad Neighbour’s sound, a track that invites dancing and grooving. Despite the upbeat sound, the lyrics here are dark and confrontational. “We should all be scared it’s someone’s world I’m stealing”. The first listen had me dancing, the second had me pondering and questioning my life, this track covers it all!
Slowing the album down is, ‘I can’t look for you’. The song grows to become heavier and more intense, waking you up and keeping you engaged and excited. The choruses include a screaming vocal fry that sheds light and adds deeper meaning to the sentiment of the album. Lyrically, this is one of my favourite tracks from the album, with relatable, emotional lyrics that build along with the melody, reflecting on the complexity of romance and relationships.
"In general, the album is one big love song. The good parts and the awful parts, but mainly it's about outgrowing a time and a place. I felt very uneasy about my life changing and growing older these past few years, and I wanted this record to be a reflection of that feeling." Cooper Riley
‘One Wing’ is a vocal duet, our first introduction to Zoe’s beautiful vocals on this album. Their voices together are harmonic, the guitar is relaxed yet intentional, as if the song is being played by the campfire. The track serves as an interlude, marking the halfway point of the album, leading us into the title track. The sound is reminiscent of the 1975, stripping it back to follow a more classic indie sound.
The title track, “Burns From The X- Rays” truly encapsulates the feeling of being an adult that’s just running on fumes. tired of living to work instead of working to live, And it does so brilliantly. Slow and stripped back, matching the delivery of Cooper’s almost haunting vocals in this song, distorted and melancholy, lingering on each line. Repeating “the lights will not come on” multiple times in the song, almost as if he's waiting for that spark that makes him enjoy life again. The harsh vocals come in echoing quietly behind while the main vocals continue the same slow tone in the foreground, almost as if Cooper himself is internally screaming,felt very intentional and an excellent way to convey emotion through the song.
“In Homes” is a slow burner, starting with slow guitars and vocals, gradually picking up the pace to and evolving into an absolute belter, complete with all the huge guitar solos, colossal drum parts and anthemic vocals that bad neighbour have excelled at doing since their inception. “In homes” is truly a testament to just how skilled every member of this band is as individual musicians and as a cohesive unit. This one might be top 3 for me for sure.
Now that we've brought the pace back up, “Vince Pope" gets straight into it, with noodly guitar leading on top of rhythm guitar and another ripper drum part from jack parkes. I don't think we can talk about this song and ignore how much these drums shine through the entire mix. I am not a drummer but if i was i think this would be my favourite song to play, so many different fills and tempos that were just so pleasing to the ear. We also get more of Liam's harsh vocals in this one, layers over coopers vocals again, I really enjoy how their vocals juxtapose each other. The chorus is also super catchy, I would say this song sits at the same table as bands like free throw and hot mulligan for sure, and cements bad neighbour as Australia's next best thing in emo.
“If It Had A Face" follows the story of trying hard for your partner and your family, but feeling like it's never enough. Another slow starter that builds into a poppy chorus and second verse, into a more hectic second verse and bridge. Another song featuring lead guitarist Zoe Middleton's excellent solo work, ringing out into the outro of the song.
The final song of the album, "Smidley” is an acoustic song you're gonna need to pull out the tissues for. This one might be my favourite, lyrically. The way Cooper uses metaphors to tell a story , while conveying emotions so poignantly is beautiful, and leagues ahead of others in the genre.
I always love when bands end an album with an intensely emotional song that leaves you sitting there in catharsis, feeling freed of emotions you didn't know you felt.
The best thing about the post hardcore/emo genre is feeling like someone just wrote down your inner monologue in ways you hadn't been able to previously, and in a sad but comforting way, makes you feel as though you aren't alone.
Overall, “Burns from the x-rays” is a raw, well rounded anecdote telling the truths about how mentally taxing it can be growing older faster than you're ready for. Told so eloquently with skilled lyricism, and wrapped up in both upbeat instrumentals and acoustic ballads, Bad Neighbour are cementing themselves as rising stars in the emo/post hardcore genre with this one.
