“The band name is simple: I have awesome neighbors.”

Dig into singer Noah Stitielman’s quote a bit, and there lies the heart of Brooklyn’s Neighbors. They neither fully embrace nostalgia nor fully champion something avant-garde — the music is simple and has awesome neighbors, as well. It shares a room with the croon of Matt Berninger from The National, down the hall from New Order, and across the street from refurbished synth-pop condos.

“Watergun” is the first new track since Neighbors released since their debut EP Hooligan, and is a very promising step. The track cruises along decorated with dark textures and slick production from Kyle “Slick” Johnson (Wavves, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Rogue Wave). Against the moody late-night melancholy, there’s Sitielman’s knack for a poppy chorus, proving the band knows how borrow just the right amount of sugar, if you will. But for real, “Watergun” possesses the kind of songwriting a rudderless band reverts to mid-career — something simple, something honest.

“Watergun”