THE 1975 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Following the major success of 2018's A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and 2020's controversial, overly indulgent, ludicrously lengthy yet genuinely brilliant Notes On A Conditional Form, many felt at a loss as to where The 1975 would set their sonic sights next. Shockingly, Matty Healy and co-opted to reign in their artistic scope with Being Funny In A Foreign Language; prioritising instantaneous delivery and poignant pop over swelling instrumental dirges and deep house experiments. Discarding many of their previous outsider influences in favour of delivering an unashamed pop-rock record; the resulting 11-track 40-minute LP is literally half the songs and half the runtime of its predecessor, yet utilises this tighter timeframe to craft some of their most memorable and effective pieces to date. From the sardonic disco-pop of 'Happiness' which channels the 80s, John Carpenter-obsessed aura of their self-titled debut, to the baroque orchestral indie-folk standout 'Part Of The Band' echoing early Vampire Weekend, to the folk-punk balladry of 'Wintering', LP5 from one of the biggest bands in the world is both a simultaneous swing for the fences and an introverted left turn into succinct composition and simpler song structure.

Review: A live recording of The 1975's sold out show at Madison Square Garden on the 7th November 2022. Following up their latest full-length studio effort Being Funny In A Foreign Language, this live appearance captures the megaband in a different, candid light (sonically), though attendees would have reported a much different experience, with press rumours detailing a Matty Healy constantly beset by fidgeting, chain-smoking and offhand comments as to the then current state of things. All this painted an unfazed attitude, which actually served to help and not hinder the whopping performance; each of the band's hits cut ecstatically through the park.

Review: The 1975 made plenty of fans happy when they announced a series of 10th anniversary reissues and merchandise on the back of some top main stage performances at the likes of Leeds and Reading. Now art-stars with a global fan base, it is a full decade since their breakout self titled debut, a record full of their signature choruses, magical melodies and soaring grooves that draw on electro-grooves and alt-rock energy, all with plenty of dreamy moments in between to ensure the whole thing plays out like a real story telling album. As it should be. The album debuted at number one on the charts and remains a firm favourite today.

Review: The 1975's last two albums were, by their standards, quite experimental, with the band taking the opportunity that fame and success afforded has afforded them to try their hand at all manner of styles - many of them a bit more overtly dancefloor-centric than diehard fans were expected. There's no such widescreen vision on 'Being Funny in A Foreign Language'; instead, they've gone back to basics and turned in a set of strong, addictive, singalong songs that sounds like radio anthems in the making. For proof, check the glossy AOR synth-pop cheeriness of 'Happiness', the fragile, eyes-closed Americana of 'Part of the Band', the indie power-pop bounce of 'I'm In Love With You' and the sparse, slo-mo, lo-fi fuzz of 'All I Need To Hear'.

Review: There's certainly plenty to talk about here. British chart-topping and stadium-filling enigmas The 1975 return to prove you really can't predict what the troupe will do next, delivering what would be their most divisive and explorative album if it weren't for the fact they command so much loyalty from fans you could be forgiven for thinking dark forces were at play. 'Notes On A Conditional Form' is easily the furthest we've wandered from the formative years of a band that cut teeth doing teen-punk covers, and it's hard not to notice the subtle theme here. From 'Having No Head', which rides on a sharp house groove, through the garage breaks of 'Yeah I Know', low slung dub of 'Shiny Collarbone' and the shoegaze of 'Streaming', it plays out like a celebration of the breadth and diversity of UK pop culture.