The 1975 are living proof that hard work pays off. Since forming all the way back in 2002, members Matty Healy, Ross MacDonald, Adam Hann and George Daniel played together as youngsters alongside studying for their GCSE's in Wilmslow. Flashforward back to present day and the pop-rock band have released three albums, The 1975, I like it When you Sleep and A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, while clutching the 2017 Brit Award for Best British Group in their arms.
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships touched down on the 30th November and explores contemporary online relationships in a digital pop era. It's said the best things come in three's so, it's no wonder that Healy has always planned for their first three albums to be a trilogy, much like Adele. The record has already had some astounding reviews, with NME giving it 10 out of 10, and Pitchfork bestowing it 8.5 out of 10 (and they're harsh markers!). So for a band which is very much comparable to Marmite, this has only enhanced my curiosity. So, without further ado, here are all of the tracks summed up in just thee lines.
The 1975: I promise you clicked play the first time around, it just takes a while to get into it. After starting the previous two albums in the same way, this version is my favourite. A perfect track to introduce the audience to The 1975's new sound and opens up the album flawlessly.
Give Yourself A Try: Released as a single, it's a great electro-pop track with a glitchy sound making it truly unique. I'm a big fan of the lyrics, especially those that are funny "And what would you say to your younger self? / "Growing a beard's quite hard"? / And "Whiskey never starts to take nice?". I only wish it was longer.
TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME: I don't have a bad thing to say about this song. It features a tropical house vibe making it one of the best and most catchy backing tracks on the album. LOVEITLOVEITLOVEIT.
How To Draw / Petrichor: The long musical introduction is like a lullaby, it's beautifully created and produces an essence of magic which floats through the air. When they jump into electro-sound Petrichor, it's hard to decipher exactly what they're singing, but I guess that's never stopped Sia. A part of me wishes they had How to Draw as a separate song.
Love It If We Made It: This song starts with a lyrical bang "We're fucking in a car / Shooting heroin / Saying controversial things / Just for the hell of it", and if that doesn't make you want to listen on, even out of pure curiosity, I don't know what will. It's a great song to shout out at the top of your voice. Featuring the London Gospel Choir is the final touch this song needed to just blow it out of the water!
Be My Mistake: If you forget the few piano notes sprinkled in, Be My Mistake is the closest song to an acoustic on the album. It's slower tempo slows down the album, and it's positioned very well within the collection helping to break up the sounds. This is the first song I don't love, and considering it's number 6 I think that's very impressive, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.
Sincerity Is Scary: Aaaaand back to another song I love. This includes my favourite chorus on the album "Why can't we be friends? / When we are lovers, I've has it stuck in my head for days and you probably will too. A gentle jazz harmony plays throughout the number.
I Like America & America Likes Me: Another song which features some very memorable lyrics which I'm grateful for “Would you please listen? / Would you please listen? / We can see it’s missing / When you bleed say so”. I'm starting to see why NME have this album 10 out of 10. I'm still singing the chorus, and probably will be while writing the rest of this review.
The Man Who Married a Robot / Love Theme: Siri becomes the 5th member of the band, and to be honest I kind of want him to make his own album. The Man Who Married a Robot is such an inventive, ingenious and funny track which fits into the album seamlessly. Love Theme is an excellent companion for the Siri narrative and prevents the song from being considered a joke.
Inside Your Mind: Off to a brilliant start, but I wish the guitar-riffs weren't so overpowering. It would have been A LOT better if they stripped back the music like in Be My Mistake. Okay, this guitar is really starting to get on my nerves now.
It's Not Living (If It's Not With You): Just another song proving that The 1975 are just so good at producing catchy upbeat electro-pop anthems. I'm going to go and sing "It's not living if it's not with you" all day now. How is every song so catchy?
Surrounded By Heads And Bodies: This song clarifies that I'm just not as big of a fan of their slower songs as I am with their upbeat songs. Who is Angela? 5 out of 10.
Mine: A very fitting song for late night driving. Very calming. Slightly above average track but it doesn't blow me away.
I Couldn't Be More In Love: I'm glad someone added the twinkling chimes. Kind of like a Mine 2.0. Brings the albums back to a simple ending.
I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes): And the best track title goes too... The chorus would have been better without the massive spike in guitar and should have just been kept consistent to the rest of the verses. It's a structured and sound way to finish the album.
Overall, I'm certainly surprised by this album, I really didn't think it would be this good, and I can ultimately see why it's been given such amazing reviews. There's no doubt that The 1975 have improved so much from their first album (not to say it wasn't good) and I love that they change up their sound with each record, not many artists/band are brave enough to do that. I'd deffo give the album a listen, even if you think you're not a huge fan of the band, you might be surprised. They have also said a new album will be dropping next year, and if its anything like this one, I'd get ready for award season boys!
Verdict
Song I'll have on repeat: Love It If We Made It
Song I'll make sure to forget: Inside Your Mind
Rating: An 'I didn't think I would be giving it' score of 9 out of 10
Listen to A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships on Spotify below! (Hit the refresh button if it doesn't show up the first time).