Album- The 1975
Artist- The 1975
The 1975 are an alternative rock group that really dominated
the music scene in 2013 in terms of being seen as one of the best new groups of
the year, producing such hits as Chocolate and The City. The band initially
released 4 E.P.’s before this album, in the process showing people their
musical diversity, and so their self-titled debut not only comes after much
online buzz, but after an experimental journey that shows different sides of
the group. Five years in the making, this record shows of different levels of
the group, being described by frontman Matt Healy as an album where every track
is lead track after lead track, with the ability to be a single. But is this
really the case, or are people really just creating hype over a band that
doesn’t deserve it?
Track 1- The 1975
Opening track The 1975 seemingly acts as this futuristic
music moment where the band signal to the listener that they are being taken on
this musical journey. It is both a weird and wonderful slice of music complete
with distorted vocals and heavy synths, but ultimately it does a beautiful job
in really getting you interested in the record.
3.5/5
Track 2- The City
Originally appearing on their debut E.P. Facedown, first
proper track The City was mixed again after the success of the groups track
Chocolate, and was released as a single from another E.P., IV. The song focuses
on the idea of finding love in the city, with the chorus having a catchy hook
that is given power by the light and quirky tone of lead singer Matt Healy’s
vocals. The punchy guitar loops and clashing of the drums makes a vibrant sound
for the track that means the record begins with a proper bang, but in essence
The City feels a little rushed and could have more power in terms of the
lyrical structure.
3/5
Track 3- M.O.N.E.Y.
Opening with synthesised beats that create this essence of
euphoria, M.O.N.E.Y acts as a track that from the outset shows how the group
have a wind range of sensibilities. The song acts as a relationship number
where the guys ask if this guy has enough money to spend on his girl, acting as
a cool kind of birds eye view on a relationship and how it takes a lot to be in
a relationship. The tracks distorted rhythms feels both weird and cool at the
same time, with the drums and synths blurring together to create this frenzied
sound that perfectly encapsulates the frenzied nature of the lyrical subject.
Healy’s vocals have a little more depth within this track, but they are also
distorted in a way that makes the track feel a bit cold, and so this definitely
works better as an all-round package which is an intriguing listen.
3.5/5
Track 4- Chocolate
The bands breakout hit, Chocolate ups the records tempo to
give us a bouncy rock number with firm pop sensibilities. The song’s lyrics are
a little weird and find the group singing about never quitting and feeling like
chocolate. The lyrics may be weird, but they are definitely catchy, with a
number of hooks making this a really pleasurable listen that is made even
greater by the youthful essence of the number. Healy’s accent driven, light and
fast paced vocal performance makes you believe in the frivolity of the song,
whilst the guitar loop and smashing drumbeats creates this preppy sound that is
just a joy to dance around to.
4/5
Track 5- Sex
Re-recorded for the album’s release and being the official
single from the album, Sex is one of the most raucous and most rock edged
pieces on the record, portraying the group as fun loving lads looking on the
positives of lives that many males see. The song finds the group singing of
having fun with girls, although apparently it’s a bit cheeky because they have
boyfriends. The raucous fun of the song is quite infectious and is nicely
elevated by the vibrancy and quirky tone of Healy’s voice, which makes the
track that bit more believable. The drums and guitar riff are a bit typical
rock, but they set the tempo of the track just right, and so the typicality can
be forgiven.
3.5/5
Track 6- Talk!
Talk! continues with the energy of Sex, but this time the
groups emotions are embedded more in frustration, as they continually sing the
question of why do you talk so loud. The message is strong and although a bit
repetitive, the song is good in the way that it can be construed in different
ways to relate to different people. Healy is focused in his vocal, with the
layering of his voice giving a sense of drama to the song that really makes the
message that bit stronger, and with the steady beats and small, stuttering
electro undercurrent, this is another song where the group show off different
sensibilities to great effect.
3.5/5
Track 7- An Encounter
More of an interlude than an actual track, An Encounter is
another track that sounds a bit psychedelic and futuristic, and which nicely
gives the listener a space to just chill for a moment and prepare for the next
batch of tracks. The swirling electro rhythms nicely build in sound but never
go too overboard, having this almost euphoric quality that is really emotive
and exciting.
3.5/5
Track 8- Heart Out
Heart Out is one of those tracks that is great in that it
shows that whilst they may be a rock group, the 1975 are also so much more.
This is because the songs rock guitars and simple bass are cemented in some
great synth notes that grab your attention from the start, giving us a great
indie pop number which has a simple but great sound about it. The song is also
lyrically strong, with a chorus that is simply very catchy, and a lovelorn
sentiment that finds the group asking this person to figure my heart out,
something which will undoubtedly appeal to the groups female fans. Healy has a
slight delicacy to his voice that means that he carries the sentiment of this
track very well vocally, but in also keeping things vocally simple he nicely
lets the lyrics and sound maintain their impact. The saxophone solo in the song
is also a great section that is a bit nostalgic in sound, and which shows how
the group are definitely influenced by music of the past, and this is a great
thing.
4/5
Track 9- Settle Down
Keeping with the synth pop energy of the former track a
little bit, Settle Down is another pop number with a strong chorus. But the
song is also a little bit funkier than the last offering, and definitely has a
Michael Jackson touch about it. The song finds Healy singing of this
relationship where people want them to settle down, and he does seem to be invested
in the relationship. The twirling, slick guitar riffs give us a sound that is
supremely catchy, and which is backed up in catchiness by the great use of
whistling. And it is by this point that you become fully assured of how great
Matt Healy is as a frontman, with his vocals just adding to the tracks appeal.
3.5/5
Track 10- Robbers
Robbers kicks off exactly where Settle Down finished in
terms of the production, but with respect to the whole track we are treated to
a slightly softer musical offering from the group. With this track Healy sings
of how this girl has come into his life and kind of stole his heart, with Healy
pleading with this girl to just give him one more night. The song has this
slight narrative feel to the lyrics and shows a bit more depth from the group,
whilst Healy is vocally awesome within the song as he really lets go and brings
this visceral intensity to the track that is just a pleasure to listen to. The
production is kept simple with the synth underpinnings and steady drum rhythms,
giving the song a slight new wave feel and just really allowing the vocals to
have a really full impact on the listener.
Track 11- Girls
From the subdued quality of Robbers we turn to more upbeat
territory with Girls, which is just a ridiculously catchy pop rock number that
is tinged with an 80’s disco feel. The song is another lyrically sharp piece
that has a slight narrative feel and finds Healy and the rest of the boys
expressing that you shouldn’t take things seriously, as the types of girls
described in the song are just ordinary girls who break hearts. There is just
this undeniably infectious, witty quality to the track, and Healy just sounds
like a quite fun loving lad that gives us a vocal performance perfectly in tune
with the lyrical content. The disco tinged guitar rhythms create a preppy vibe
to the track that is designed to really have you up and bouncing around, and
this is really just a gem of a pop tune.
4/5
Track 12- 12
The final interlude of the album is an instrumentally led
moment with this flowing electronic sound and breathy, processed vocal ‘ah’
style, creating this ambient moment within the record that makes this feel like
not just an album of songs but more of a creative body of work.
3.5/5
Track 13- She Way Out
She Way Out is another track where the boys take things to
slightly more of a simplistic pop rock vibe. The track focuses on the group
painting this picture of this two tone girl who grabs their attention but who
is kind of out of the way. The track isn’t one of those tracks where you can
really fully understand what the meaning is, but the lyrics are smart and
catchy, whilst Healy’s vocal performance is kept a bit more simple and light.
The melding of the heavy electric guitar riffs and thumping bass creates a
stomping rock feel to the track that works well, and overall this is just more
of a simple but nice musical affair.
3.5/5
Track 14- Menswear
The opening of Menswear features a funky electro rhythm that
is really intriguing and marks this out as more of an innovative music piece
for the group. The songs ambient opening nicely manages to maintain your
interest and create this chilled feeling before Healy’s vocals kick in. The
vocal performance is really intriguing as it starts of really processed and inhuman
before the song kicks into a higher musical gear and Healy just conveys this
sense of him being a simple guy who is just a bit jealous. The lyrics are
firmly led by the idea of jealousy, whilst the electronic infused production is
nicely melded together with some stomping drumbeats, creating this slightly
weird but really interesting song that brings variety to the way that the group
structures their songs.
3.5/5
Track 15- Pressure
Pressure is another slice of funkier pop rock in which Healy
sings of changing pressure and promising to just be with this girl. The message
is nice but some of the lyrics feel a bit too recycled, whilst the vocal
performance is almost too overpowering in places. The tracks sound, however, is
great, infusing this clicky indie pop instrumentation with funky guitar riffs,
thumping drums and an awesome 80’s inspired saxophone solo that just creates
this nice track that feels like a real conglomeration of genres.
3/5
Track 16- Is There
Somebody Who Can Watch You
The closing track for the album is a lovely end in that
things are really kept simple and honest as Healy sings of how he is supposed
to love this person and will do so when they are home, but they ask this person
if somebody will watch over them when they are not there. The track just feels
like a lyrically honest piece that can nicely relate to family, friends or your
partner, whilst the simplistic style of the track with just the piano allows
for the vulnerable essence of Healy’s vocal performance to really shine through
and impact on the listener a bit more.
3.5/5
Final Review
The 1975 is a record that definitely lives up to its
expectations, as each of the songs on the album stand on their own musical
merits, yet the album definitely still works as a coherent piece. Vocally Healy
imbues the songs with a nice level of personality and with the album he really
shows his ability as a great front man, whilst the melding of different styles
and sounds for various tracks creates a fun record in tune with some of the
styles of the past and bringing more interesting material to today’s music
landscape. The lyrics are also really sharp and relevant whilst being
ridiculously catchy, and with this record the group have a really promising
career ahead of them and deserve their success.
9/10
Best Track- Girls
Worst Track- Pressure
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