The 1975: A New Album and A New Era

On Nov. 30, 2018, the highly anticipated album from The 1975 was finally released. “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” is signified as the new era for the band. According to Pitchfork, frontman of the band Matty Healy discusses his songwriting in this album as “deconstructed, anthological and postmodern.” These themes are portrayed throughout the album’s many genres including pop, jazz, rock and soft ballad.

In an interview with Genius, Matty opens up about the track “Love It If We Made It.” The song relays a heavy message in a tactic that isn’t usually practiced in today’s music. The contrast between the upbeat sound of the song and the intricacy and precision of the lyrics gives the song a unique and idiosyncratic feel. The unconventional presentment of the song numbs the meaning to the lyrics behind the sound. The song stresses the idea that modernity has failed the human race due to political division, technological advancements and global hatred.

“It is really different from their previous albums,” says PLNU freshman Izzie Huljev. “They use a lot of autotune, but I think it goes along with the whole feel of the album. They are just trying something new. Although it’s not my favorite, I still support it and the lyrics are still meaningful. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I think that’s a good thing.”

This new era from The 1975 is seen as rather different from their past.

“With any change, there are going to be people that don’t want it and those who don’t mind it. But the people that don’t want it are the ones who are going to hold them back. Matty is just another human being expressing himself. They are all growing as people, therefore they will grow as a band.” says freshman Brennan Ernst.

I asked Brennan to share his favorite track on the album and he answered instantly: “Definitely ‘Be My Mistake.’ I like the message behind it and the way it sounds. For me, a big part of music is not only the lyrics but how it sounds and I really like the sound of Matty’s voice and the acoustic guitar.”

Overall, this album has received many excellent reviews and the band has been greatly recognized for the work. There is already talk that we aren’t far away from the band’s follow-up album “Notes On a Conditional Form.” This album should be released early summer of 2019, but until then, take a few listens to “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships.”