If you only follow The 1975’s lead singer Matty Healy to click through the chaos of his Instagram stories, it’s easy to reduce The 1975 to “sycophantic, prophetic, socratic, junkie wannabes” as they self-describe in their 2016 song, “The Sound.”
But in doing so, you would miss out on exploring the discography of one of the most relevant and political alt-rock bands. The Manchester-born group has penned songs about drugs, taken tabloid headlines as songwriting inspiration and used Siri’s voice to narrate a man’s addiction to the internet.
In their latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, released on Oct. 14, The 1975 are At Their Very Best, to coin the title of their upcoming North American tour.
While their past albums have never been fully cohesive, jumping between electro ballads and ‘80’s radio bops, Being Funny in a Foreign Language trades in screams and electronic distortion to sit in the comfort of warming strings and catchy hooks.
Even so, the band’s original charm remains—Healy’s British accent is still prominent, Springsteen-esque saxophone solos are a standout, lead guitarist Adam Hann’s guitar riffs add a vivacious layer of glam-rock influence and their lyrics are as sincere as ever.
It wouldn’t be a 1975 LP without an opening track titled “The 1975.” This time, the lyrics reveal an understanding of modern youth, with lines such as “you’re making an aesthetic out of not doing well” and “I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re seventeen.” These truths are told with a backdrop of rapid, anxiety-inducing piano chords, akin to the fretful melody of another song on the album, “Looking For Somebody (To Love).”
Contrasting these darker themes are party-at-the-disco dance tunes “Happiness” and “I’m In Love With You.” Both songs are packed with yearning and integrity, sticking to The 1975’s formula of juxtaposing poignant lyrics with an upbeat sound. “Oh Caroline” achieves a similar effect with the same groove, but uses a fresh combination of moving piano chords resting upon the backbone of bassist Ross MacDonald’s bass line.
The album shifts in tone: “All I Need To Hear” is the song you’d smoke a cigar to in a loveseat by the fireplace, “Human Too” tackles the dangerous precipice of setting high moral standards and “Wintering” recounts stories from Healy’s Christmas celebrations.
Everything The 1975 encapsulates is amassed in “About You”—the climax of the album. A melody reminiscent of David Bowie’s “Heroes” blends with the band’s nostalgic “Guys” from their 2020 album, Notes On A Conditional Form. Clean distortion supports the lyrics’ reflections on a past lover, assuring the track will become a fan favourite at live performances.
“Part of the Band” takes a snapshot of Healy’s diary entries—“So many cringes and heroin binges,” “Am I ironically woke? Or just the butt of my joke? / Or am I just some post-coke, average, skinny bloke?” Despite carrying the clunkiest melody of the album, the warm timbre of string instruments makes the song become more appealing after a few listens.
Guitars and strings are a commonality of the album, particularly in “When We Are Together,” which uses a soft guitar-picking pattern to end the album on a safe and familiar note.
Perhaps it’s Jack Antonoff’s credit as producer alongside drummer George Daniel’s efforts that combined cohesiveness with the signature The 1975 sound, but Being Funny in a Foreign Language is the band’s pinnacle achievement. They’ve managed to take their nostalgic guitar riffs and brass sounds and explore grandiose string melodies, all while maintaining their sincerity from every previous era.
The 1975 may be anything but conventional, but their new album takes clichés of love and modernity to new heights. They explore what it means to be human, and what it means to be part of their band.
Featured image retrieved from Twitter/The 1975.
