By Brian Conway
The 1975 is most well known for creating catchy, poppy and 80s-inspired tracks drenched in an emotionally distraught yet collected aesthetic that takes aim at nostalgia-loving
millennials. Through their relatable and mostly harmless lyrics, as well as frontman Matthew Healy’s charm, the group has managed to pull together a large fan following most akin to a boy band — albeit one that actually plays instruments. The band’s newest album, the distinctively long and lowercased I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it is a noble yet flawed attempt to begin to stray away from that simple image and spark something new.
With this second LP, the band definitely does not stray far when it comes to the sound of their previous album. The upbeat synths and sweet riffs join with Healy’s cooling vocals to create a sound of concentrated, confident pop. The singles are especially great examples of this with “Love Me” standing out in particular. The track’s signature guitar, trippy synths and booming energy sound like the lovechild of Prince and David Bowie at the top of their hit-making days.
Another highlight is “Somebody Else.” Here, Healy takes the tried-and-true formula of a love song and twists it enough to come across as deeply personal. You feel for his pain and heartbreak as he sees his former love with another man. The progressively intense background harmonies highlight the duality of sorrow and anger after a breakup.
This is not the only track in which Healy opens up, with “The Ballad Of Me And My Brain” providing a look at the insanity that follows him as a result of drug use. The band’s songwriting on this album is probably the strongest aspect with all of the tracks’ lyrics striking a cord and supplying a level of newfound maturity in the process.
Where The 1975 begin to falter is when they ditch their pop roots and aim for something more cinematic. One would assume this would compliment well with the muddled, moody instrumentals that these parts contain but somehow that is not the case. It just seems like a way to convince the listener they are on a ride that is much deeper and introspective that it actually is. Continuing with this trend of trickery, these moments take away from the rest of the record, forcing the band to stick to a constantly repeating sound.
In the end, like the band itself, it is hard not to like this newest offering. While the newest album is bogged down by pretentious breaks from the action, the tracks that are on display are good (if not great) and deserve a listen.
