The 1975, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - album review
They seem to have come out of nowhere in the last couple of years, but The 1975 have been going since their teenage inception in 2002.
The Mancunian four-piece outfit released their debut self-titled record as far back as 2013 and have never looked back.
Sat on a strange indie pop/electro pop crossover plane they are lauded by some and derided by others, a Marmite band. Yet that doesn't deter them from their drive. They're not just another indie pop band looking to top the charts with placidly written ballads. There's some thinking to this material.
The minimalistic approach to the record sleeve points immediately to this. The long electro moments too. And then there is a song about a man having a relationship with the internet.
There are some sweet indie pop moments for sure. The single Give Yourself A Try features puffed percussion and ethereal vocals which are given a dance vibe by a screeched guitar melody which has basically been pinched from Joy Division's Disorder and lifted a few octaves.
And there is the punchy Love It If We Made It - a nicely building track that sounds like a right party at an early morning club with its uplifting choruses and jangling backing vocal sounds. Synths lift it another plethora or two - it is impossible to feel down while listening to this.
The issue with these sections is the energy built up is often dissipated as a flat, dour number is inserted which slows everything back down.
How To Draw / Petrichor is a real Sigur Ros-like electro drift that welcomes a funky drum rhythm midway through, but it stops the fun built up by Give Yourself A Try and TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME in its tracks.
The same happens with the acoustic twanging of Be My Mistake straight after Love it If We Made It.
But there are the interesting factors to consider too. The Man Who Married A Robot / Love Theme is a spoken word tale about a 'lonely, lonely man' who falls in love with his 'best friend' the internet. It's haunting in its relevance to modern society.
So that Marmite mish-mash continues. And will probably do so when they quickly release their sister record to this - Notes On A Conditional Form - next year.
Rating: 6/10
The 1975 bring their latest tour to Arena Birmingham on January 19, 2019
