Brisbane emo rock outfit Bad Neighbour recently announced news of their sophomore album, ‘Burns From The X-Rays’, set for release Friday 5 June via Ninth Life Records. Today, the band share their new single Mean Faces, another glimpse into what’s shaping up to be a stellar second record.
Mean Faces is a strong representation of what Bad Neighbour do so well: emotive storytelling, dynamic vocal delivery that rises and falls with the moment, distorted guitars dripping in nostalgia, and tension that builds into huge crescendos. The track explores the darker parts of ourselves that can resurface from time to time, and the process of recognising them. Vocalist Cooper Riley says, “I wanted this song to be like a letter to myself … I love the line ‘it’s not gonna do what you need it to’, because sometimes we place unrealistic expectations on things, wanting them to happen the way we so badly want them to. But more often than not you get what you need instead of what you want.”
For Cooper, the upcoming album reflects a season of change and the uneasy territory between youth and adulthood: “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 unneasy about my life changing and growing older these past few years, and I wanted this record to be a reflection of that feeling.”
Earlier singles Rush Apart, Snarling and I Can’t Look For You appear as tracks two, three and four on the upcoming album, hinting at its darker indie-rock textures and connecting ‘Burns From The X-Rays’ back to the foundation laid by 2024’s debut album, ‘Millions’.
From the sun-soaked streets of Brisbane, Bad Neighbour have spent the past few years carving out a rough-around-the-edges, heart-on-sleeve sound that feels unmistakably theirs. Made up of Cooper Riley (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Zoe Middleton (lead guitar/vocals), Liam Sumner (bass/vocals) and Jack Parkes (drums), the quartet came together off the back of shared musical interests and combined motivation to tread their own sonic ground inspired by the likes of PUP, Modern Baseball and The Menzingers.
Their relentless commitment to their craft has seen them share stages with some of the industry’s finest, carving out a name as one of Brisbane’s most exciting live acts. Over the past few years, they’ve supported The Smith Street Band, Motion City Soundtrack (US), Mom Jeans (US), Microwave (US), Spanish Love Songs (US), Hot Mulligan (US), Free Throw (US), and Badflower (US), while also performing on the big stages at New Bloom Festival and Good Things Festival.
Mean Faces IS OUT NOW
‘Burns From The X-Rays’ will be out Friday 6 June via Ninth Life Records – PRE-ORDER HERE
With thanks to Bigmouth PR
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