Boston Manor

Welcome To The Neighbourhood (2018)

Maximillian Power

Boston Manor came to my attention initially back in 2016, with their debut Pure Noise LP, Be Nothing; it was another drop in the above average UK pop-punk bucket. In 2016 the band fit in well with their UK pop-punk peers such as Moose Blood, Trash Boat and to a lesser degree Neck Deep. It is nice to see the band has pushed themselves further than the typical pop-punk sound in the last two years.

Boston Manor has stepped up their game with 2018’s Welcome To The Neighbourhood. The band has continued on with their emotional take on music, but they have moved toward a heavier, and more alternative direction. While the music and vocal melodies remain poppy and catchy, the music itself features a heavier and at times ambient drone. It gives the impression that the band members have taken influences from bands like Glassjaw and the Deftones as of late.

The previous melancholic content of the lyrics remains prominent, but as I mentioned above, the record as a whole feels significantly heavier than past releases. The track “Halo” includes a drawn out and heavy breakdown that provides a more post-hardcore flavor than pop punk. On top of growing musically as a band, the consistent vocal melodies and hooks continue to be memorable and infectious. “Flowers In Your Dustbin” highlights the bands ability to be catchy as well as hard hitting.

Boston Manor seem to have hit their stride with Welcome To The Neighbourhood, producing a well written post-hardcore record with added sprinklings of alternative rock and pop-punk. It is nice to see a band within this genre grow, especially when so many of Boston Manor's peers seem to have missed the mark in 2018.