Interscope

Two years after the release of their sophomore album, I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, The 1975 have released a new album titled A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. The album art is similar to their last two album covers in its simplicity, but it doesn’t feature the signature light up rectangle with The 1975 in it. Despite this deviation, the new album features many loved elements of the band’s old music including beautiful instrumentals and upbeat dance tunes. That isn’t to say they were playing it safe. There is a lot of previously uncharted territory The 1975 cover on A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Several of the tracks feature heavy vocal editing, something they haven’t done much of in the past, and there seems to be a lot more jazz influence as well. The band’s ability to blend genres, jazz, rock, and pop, in particular, is part of what makes their new album so strong. The album has earned a lot of spots on top album and song lists for 2018. Love It If We Made It is Pitchfork’s number one on their list of best songs of 2018 and it’s number eight on NPR’s best music of 2018 list.

The 1975

For each of The 1975’s albums, they’ve opened with a different rendition of this song. This time they had a simple piano melody with intense and heavily edited vocals over it. The result is something very unique to the 1975’s discography, but it fits well with the modernistic theme of the album. 

Give Yourself A Try

The first of the album’s five singles, Give Yourself A Try is very similar to what we’re used to seeing from The 1975; sick guitar, upbeat, catchy, a dance-inducing hook, and a mesmerizing instrumental.

TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME

This is the album’s banger. Much like it’s music video which features the band’s frontman Matt Healy dancing with a bunch of different people, the song makes you want to get up and dance. It gives off really similar vibes to their last album, I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it’s hit The Sound. 

How To Draw / Petrichor

In the beginning, this song has a music box like melody that’s really relaxing, but then in the middle of the song the beat switches up and becomes really upbeat and fun. The formula for the song is a lot like Lost my Head from the band’s second album, with it’s mesmerizing instrumental that only has a few vocals over it.

Love If We Made It

Both the aggressive vocals and the prominence of the drums would make Love If We Made It fit in perfectly with The 1975’s self-titled album. The lyrics, about controversial political and social topics and the dark times we’re in sound somewhat absurd at first, but the song is about looking at the future with positivity and hope.

Be My Mistake

This one is one of the more chill tracks on the album, but it’s still really strong especially lyrically. It features simple acoustic guitar with lyrics about not know what you want, being young, and making mistakes.

Sincerity Is Scary

This is by far one of the best tracks on the album. The beautiful horns, slow and heavy drums, and the choir that backs Healy in the chorus create a really soulful vibe that makes this track really unique to the album. The lyrics, on the other hand, talk about insecurities and anxiety and how they affect relationships, which juxtaposes nicely against the instrumental. If you only listen to one song on this album, it should be this one.

I Like America & America Likes Me

This is the only track that one might attach the label boring too. It has a cool beat and the same heavily edited vocals we’ve seen previously on the album. However, the lack of a beat build up or break down throughout the song, leaves us with a long, dull track that doesn’t add anything to the album.

The Man Who Married a Robot / Love Theme

This one is weird but cool and good at the same time. The lyrics are about a man and his relationship with the internet, but instead of being sung, they’re spoken by a robotic voice. The instrumental at the end has beautiful harp and strings.

Inside Your Mind

At first, this song sounds almost exactly like Somebody Else from The 1975’s second album, but it ends up being something completely different. The relaxed and simple instrumental allows for Healy’s beautiful vocals and emotion-filled lyrics to really shine. 

It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

Yet another upbeat bop. This one sounds kind of like She’s American from the band’s last album, very 80s. The hook is super catchy and makes you want to dance.

Surrounded by Heads and Bodies

This one features a really simple instrumental that is mainly guitar. The lyrics are relaxing and smooth and sound kind of like a lullaby.

Mine

This track starts out with an almost acoustic vibe, but then it gets super jazzy. The beat is very swing-like, and Matt Healy, the band’s lead singer, says it was inspired by their love of Coltrane. The lyrics and vocals are raw and soothing.

I Couldn’t Be More in Love

This one sounds similar to Sincerity is Scary with its slow and heavy drums. It’s very chill, but the instrumental is beautiful, specifically the guitar towards the end of the song.

I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)

The beat in this one is pretty unique for The 1975. It almost sounds like a country song, especially with the acoustic guitar. The hook has a pretty, dreamlike sound.

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships showcases both lyrical and instrumental growth from The 1975. Although the heavily edited vocals might be a turn off to some listeners, it’s cool to see the band try something new, and it fits really well with the modernist theme of the album. The 1975 will be embarking on a North American Tour in May. They will be stopping at The Armory on May 7th, 2019.