Brisbane emo rock favourites Bad Neighbour have officially released their highly anticipated second album, Burns From The X-rays, marking a significant new chapter for one of Australia’s most promising independent bands.
Arriving via Ninth Life Records, the 10 track record builds upon the foundations laid by the band’s acclaimed 2024 debut Millions, while diving deeper into themes of change, nostalgia and the often uncomfortable process of growing older.
For vocalist and guitarist Cooper Riley, the album captures a period of personal transition that many listeners will find painfully relatable:
“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,” Riley explained.
“I felt very uneasy about my life changing and growing older these past few years, and I wanted this record to be a reflection of that feeling.”
That emotional honesty has become a defining characteristic of Bad Neighbour’s music, across previous singles “Mean Faces”, “Rush Apart”, “Snarling” and “I Can’t Look For You”, the Brisbane quartet showcased a darker and more refined sound that balances raw vulnerability with driving indie rock energy.
Bad Neighbour ‘Mean Faces’ video
Making moves
Formed by Cooper Riley, Zoe Middleton, Liam Sumner and Jack Parkes, Bad Neighbour have steadily built a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting emerging emo and punk-influenced acts. Drawing inspiration from bands such as PUP, Modern Baseball and The Menzingers, they’ve earned a loyal following through relentless touring and emotionally charged live performances.
Their rise has seen them share stages with an impressive list of local and international heavyweights, including The Smith Street Band, Motion City Soundtrack, Mom Jeans, Hot Mulligan, Microwave, Spanish Love Songs, Free Throw and Badflower.
They’ve also appeared at major events including Good Things Festival and New Bloom Festival, with Burns From The X-rays, Bad Neighbour appear ready to take another step forward.
The album feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, capturing the uncertainty of leaving one chapter behind while trying to figure out what comes next.
Bad Neighbour ‘Burns From The X-rays’
Burns From The X-rays – Track Listing
- Mean Faces
- Rush Apart
- Snarling
- I Can’t Look For You
- One Wing
- Burns From The X-rays
- In Homes
- Vince Pope
- If It Had A Face
- Smidley
Pick up your copy/stream here.
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