There aren’t many people out there that wouldn’t recognize the opening lines of “Sweater Weather”, the West Coast anthem by alternative band the Neighbourhood. “All I am, is a man/I want the world in my hands/I hate the beach, but I stand/In California with my toes in the sand”.

A laid back, yet undeniably likable hit with sun-soaked verses and a seamless chorus, “Sweater Weather” is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Neighbourhood’s musical prowess.

Throughout the band’s short (formed in 2011) but certainly not unaccomplished career, the Neighbourhood has already tucked away several milestone achievements. With a Billboard Hot 100 single, praise from Rolling Stone and a major label deal with Columbia Records under it’s belt, the band (often stylized as The NBHD) sits atop a mountain of enormous potential.

When it comes to the music, leading vocalist Jesse Rutherford and his crew put out sounds of the highest caliber. “Sweater Weather” may be the band’s only pop radio hit so far, but exclusively alternative record “Afraid”, as well as many other cuts off the debut album I Love You, rival it in vocal power and creative melody construction.

For example: opening track “How” begins with the static hum of an electric guitar, effortlessly bouncing into uptempo synths and finally into a crashing, classic drum pattern that act as guidance for the chilling, vintage-influenced vocals that the Neighbourhood came to be known for. The album is an instant classic from the beginning.

Yet it would seem unfair to give the Neighbourhood praise without considering the band’s previous and current non-album material. Aside from releasing several mixtapes and short EPs (short for Extended Play, a mini album), the band has collaborated with artists such as French Montana and Danny Brown for recent singles, on which the alt./rock sound usually adopted by the Neighbourhood is occasionally blended with Hip-Hop influences.

Needless to say, producing high quality music with an experimental viewpoint is something of an obvious specialty for the Neighbourhood. This should make it easy for them to keep producing enjoyable, irreverent music that will surely stand the test of time.