There's something strangely hypnotic and charming about "New Century," an immensely infectious bummer from Neighbors, which consists of a guy named Noah Stitelman and anyone else who happens to be around to help. For all of Stitelman's fretful miserablism — "I wanna lie down and hide in the dark 'til I don't have to figure it out," he sings early on — Neighbors' music is steeped in smoothly pleasing brightness. If anyone out there remembers the D.C. band Aden, which put out a few wonderful records a little more than a decade ago, both bands share a lightly melancholy sparkle that's all the more powerful for its gentility.
"New Century" is drawn from Neighbors' debut album (titled Good Luck, Kid, it comes out Nov. 6), which picks up on many of the themes of the song here: It's a coming-of-age record in which Stitelman faces down adulthood and doesn't always like what he sees, both ahead of him and in the mirror. Thankfully, if his music is any indication, he's come a long way farther than he realizes.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDM3NjYwMjA5MDE1MjA1MzQ1NDk1N2ZmZQ004))
