There's something incredibly liberating about attending a show stacked with bands that you don't really know. Sure, I suppose you make a pretty strong argument for scoping out the bands ahead of time to really know what you're getting yourself into but I find the idea of just going and experiencing a band for the first time live to be a far more appealing one.
Enter Neighbors. The brain-child of singer/songwriter Noah Stitelman, the quintet's live set was easily one of the most appetizing of the four band lineup. While I went for ARMS, Neighbors sure were a nice bonus - covering the audience with toe-tapping 80s-leaning synth-pop goodness and throwing in a little bit of 60s girl pop for good measure in the form of backing vocals provided by female members Steph and Julie. The result is something that sounds surprisingly familiar even when you might not have heard the band before. That's not to say that Neighbors don't bring anything particularly original to the table or even that Stitelman wears his influences a little too noticeably on his sleeve, rather Stitelman paints with the rather broad strokes of synth-pop masters and fills in the little details with his own (and his band's) personal touch.
With two EPs and a recently released debut full length (Good Luck, Kid) under their belt, Neighbors have found a sound that seems to work for them. While you could throw any track from Good Luck, Kid on an 80s playlist and have people be none the wiser, it's still a rather enjoyable collection of danceable tracks. A sure sign that 80s nostalgia is here to stay and can be utilized to great effect.
You can listen to Neighbors debut full length Good Luck, Kid on Spotify and buy it digitally.
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