Kevin Bronson on October 18th, 2013

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Ah, the petulance of youth. On the new single “Afraid” from Newbury Park-bred quintet the Neighbourhood, frontman Jesse Rutherford keens about the fear of rejection. “When I wake up I’m afraid / that somebody else might take my place,” he sings, before deciding “f*ck you anyway,” a juvenile reaction that you may or may not take seriously, depending on whether you’ve passed your senior prom. If the point is to convey the neuroses that come with feeling vulnerable, “Afraid” does that – as does the video for the song done by the Neighbourhood’s longtime visual collaborators, Zachary Sekuler and Daniel Iglesias, Jr. What could be more vulnerable that Rutherford, buck naked? Rutherford and bandmates Jeremy Freedman (guitar), Zach Abels (guitar), Mikey Margott (bass) and Bryan Sammis are touring behind their debut album “I Love You,” which has now sold more than 100,000 copies, with the album’s first single “Sweater Weather” (our favorite of 2012) selling a half million itself.

||| Live: The Neighbourhood’s “Love Collection” tour visits the Hollywood Palladium on Oct. 30.

||| Previously: At Coachella, “Sweater Weather” video, “Let It Go” video, “Female Robbery,” “I’m Sorry” EP.