I Love You
by The Neighbourhood
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Apr 23, 2013
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 113
  3. Negative: 13 out of 113
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  1. godwinkent888
    Feb 23, 2014
    5
    After listening to Sweater Weather, I decided to listen to the entire album. But i was disappointed. Sweater Weather was the best track in the album, and the rest of the tracks were either dragging, badly written, or plagued with weak instrumentation.
  2. Mab_987
    Dec 1, 2013
    6
    I like this album, but it didn't quite blow me away like debuts other buzzed up new indie-pop bands did. My favorite thing about this album is the sound. This band has a fantastically distinct musical style, creating this very moody atmosphere coated in reverb while still for the most part retaining a good amount of accessibility & pop appeal through some very catchy hooks. The vocals,I like this album, but it didn't quite blow me away like debuts other buzzed up new indie-pop bands did. My favorite thing about this album is the sound. This band has a fantastically distinct musical style, creating this very moody atmosphere coated in reverb while still for the most part retaining a good amount of accessibility & pop appeal through some very catchy hooks. The vocals, while never absolutely incredible technically, are done in a nicely understated way that compliments what's going on around it, and the almost rap-like cadences are a nice touch. Meanwhile the drums sound huge & cacophonous, and the guitar is more meant to enhance the song through some high jangly leads that are a little buried in the mix rather than being the driving force behind it, which is a pretty interesting songwriting strategy for an indie-pop band. Admittedly though, the bad side of this is that in a few tracks (specifically in the verses) it seems like the production is doing more to make the song engaging than the band themselves, making for moments that are enjoyable to listen to but ultimately forgettable.

    I'd say the lyrics are easily this album's weakest area. Sometimes they're too vague & ambiguous to stand out from other “I'm depressed” songs, while at other times they're so irritatingly immature it's baffling why they weren't rewritten in favor of something with a little more subtlety or creativity. Even though these issues are pretty much opposites, I can link them to the same problem: trying way too hard to appeal to angst-ridden teenagers who act like they're in clinical depression to get attention in every negative situation. And considering that I'm a teenager, it's not a good sign that I was able to catch that bit of pandering to my demo. Some songs individually have their own little confusing messages that don't really know where they're going. “How” seems to start out questioning the logic of some atheists/agnostics, then by the chorus is whining about being an outcast. Then there's “Let It Go” & “Alleyways”, which detail growing up in a rich city & having fun as a kid, but don't really have as much to say relating to that as the depressive vibes & occasional vague claims of “struggle” want us to think.

    I honestly think the area of love & relationships is where The Neighbourhood work best in, as shown by “W.D.Y.W.F.M?” & “Flawless”. They explore a dysfunctional relationship in a way that can come off immature at times, but in a way that's understandable & kinda likable. And the topic of depression & self-doubt is occasionally tackled with some level of creativity. Like on “Female Robbery”, where the narrator reaches such a crippling low point that he wouldn't have a problem with being kidnapped in his sleep & removed from his apparently miserable life. You could say the background for this is a bit unexplained, but it's certainly more effective emotionally than other attempts at conveying despair found here. And other songs on the back half like “Staying Up” and “Float” do a decent job at showing imagery in this subject. While I wouldn't call I Love You. a bad album by any means, I was a bit disappointed after loving the first 2 singles. They're got a nice sound going for them that can serve them very well in the future, but they're gonna have to work on making the songwriting as a whole just as interesting.

    Top 5 tracks: Sweater Weather, Female Robbery, W.D.Y.W.F.M?, Flawless, Everybody's Watching Me
    Score: 68/100
    My Facebook review page: That Non-Elitist Music Fan    … Expand
  3. omniscient
    Jul 11, 2013
    6
    It's easy to fall for The Neighbourhood's intoxicating sound, but the immature lyrics fail to sustain the seemingly meaningful vocals. Besides the tracks from their EP, I'm Sorry..., I Love You is much weaker than it should've been.
  4. Disk
    Jul 15, 2014
    6
    Overall, The Neighbourhood’s debut attempt was not bad. They really do have their own creative sound and style. However, they should expand more on these sounds and styles and especially lyrics
  5. Velocijoey
    Mar 19, 2014
    6
    A sometimes intoxicating album that tricks you into thinking that it could be groundbreaking, but leads to an overly hyped outcome. I'm not saying this album is garbage, and by no means is that the truth, but I just wish that this would've came out years before. Artists such as Vampire Weekend or The XX drown out The Neighbourhood and make them feel obsolete. With all that being said, thisA sometimes intoxicating album that tricks you into thinking that it could be groundbreaking, but leads to an overly hyped outcome. I'm not saying this album is garbage, and by no means is that the truth, but I just wish that this would've came out years before. Artists such as Vampire Weekend or The XX drown out The Neighbourhood and make them feel obsolete. With all that being said, this is still a worthy listen.… Expand
  6. XavierBlaq
    Dec 29, 2013
    5
    Though their EP, I'm Sorry, and hit song, "Sweater Weather," seemed to bode well for this new band, their first full length album is hopefully not the realization of the their potential. As many of the critics and other users have stated, the lyrics on several songs are ultimately too much to take. However, this could be improved upon in the future, and the moodiness of the songs creates aThough their EP, I'm Sorry, and hit song, "Sweater Weather," seemed to bode well for this new band, their first full length album is hopefully not the realization of the their potential. As many of the critics and other users have stated, the lyrics on several songs are ultimately too much to take. However, this could be improved upon in the future, and the moodiness of the songs creates a great atmosphere for the themes explored, even if the lyrics used are too immature. Therefore, I still have hope that this band with a great deal of potential could still deliver on their next album.… Expand
  7. diegonelli
    Sep 15, 2015
    5
    I dn't know if a boy's singing or a girl is O.o Anyway he has a powerful voice, but the album isn't very good, they're another typical ''indie'' band acclaimed by stupid tumblr girls.
  8. FruitJuice
    Jul 18, 2017
    6
    it was okay........................................................................................................................................................................
  9. All_ButTrU4
    Nov 15, 2021
    4
    Confusingly vacant. There's no personality just empty scattershot ideas in a blender. It's songs walk the line between annoying and boring continuously having one foot on both sides. The Californian sheen that made "sweater weather " so captivating is brushed off,gone is the break out single's seduction and charisma. It's just self centered ¶noid with the emotional maturity of a preteen.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed Album of 2013
50
#50 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
48

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. PopMatters
    Jun 26, 2013
    50
    Ultimately, I Love You. is an extremely flawed debut with good intentions.
    Read full review
  2. Q Magazine
    May 13, 2013
    40
    Much as their guitars cascade and their lyrics have a dark undertow, there's too much heavy-footed stodginess, notably in the plodding Staying Up, to make them truly engaging. [Jun 2013, p.103]
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Apr 24, 2013
    50
    The band does black and white, but nothing in between.
    Read full review
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