If you’re wondering why society is as messed up as it is, The 1975 might have an answer. With a focus on the ever transforming relationships of partners, strangers, and the relationship we have with ourselves, the newest album from The 1975 gives listeners plenty of songs to dance to while contemplating why society is the way it is today. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, released at the end of November, is full of a variety of musical styles, many uncommon for the band to use, and presents an honest summary of a modern day relationship intertwined with an analysis of modern society as a whole.
A Musical Smorgasbord
The album overall begins with a high energy approach, with upbeat tracks like “Give Yourself A Try” and “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME” at the start of the album that are contrasted with softer, more acoustic-styled tracks towards the end like “Surrounded By Heads And Bodies” and “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).” An interesting feature of the album is the use of musical styles throughout history. This includes the jazz sound of “Mine” that could resemble that of 1940s, a smooth jazz sound in “I Couldn’t Be More In Love” from the 1970s, and the very 1980s pop-esque “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).”
You can especially see the musical versatility of The 1975 in “How To Draw/Petrichor” that transforms from a soft, smooth jazz-esque melody with piano and layered vocals into high paced techno with highly auto-tuned voices. One of the most unique sounds on the album comes from the track “The Man Who Married A Robot/Love Theme,” an honest spoken word piece on the danger of investing too much of your life into the internet and social media. It’s delivered by Siri and placed over piano that is later joined by an entire crescendoing orchestra.
Honest and Harsh Lyrics
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships points out everything that is wrong with society today in a way that is hard to understand that you’re being called out until you listen to the album a couple of times. The album hits every aspect of the dark side of modern relationships, from cheating in ‘‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME,” to the unwanted breakup in “I Couldn’t Be More In Love,” to the post-breakup one night stand in “Be My Mistake.” The band did not limit themselves to relationships for the album; however, they also touched on personal battles with drug addiction in “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You),” and the impact of gun violence on younger generations with the refusal of government officials to do anything about it in “I Like America & America Likes Me.” There is also an intense and harsh examination of modern society as a whole in “Love It If We Made It,” a song highlighting topics such as drugs, religion, politics, and the environment.
Overall, the lyrics on the album are scathingly honest and accurate about modern society and its multitude of issues. Whether it be about how people treat each other in relationships or how they treat those they interact with on a daily basis, the lyrics put across a message that everything is a little messed up.
Sad Lyrics, (Mostly) Happy Instrumentals
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships has been widely praised by The 1975’s fanbase and rightfully so with a high quality production, clever and unique lyrics, and an ever changing musical style that makes every song interesting. The album provides the perfect songs to listen to for a breakup, a social movement, or an upcoming party.
The songs are full of dark and deep subject matters, yet they are still cleverly accompanied by upbeat instrumentals, a concept that is exemplified in “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).” The slower songs on the album provide an opportunity for the listener to truly hear and understand the subject matter of the lyrics while also providing a nice balance to create a well rounded album.
Top Tracks:
“Sincerity Is Scary”
“It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)”
“TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”
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Featured Image: TheYoungFolks
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