my my my, i still cannot fathom that this album was released. summer began with “part of the band”, and since then i have been patiently awaiting for their 5th studio album, being funny in a foreign language. Interestingly enough, three of the songs were released at crucial moments (“happiness” was literally released at the happiest days of this summer) for me thus i have a very personal attachment to this album. the great jack antonoff (for those who are unaware, is a record producer who worked with the likes of lana del ray, taylor swift, lorde, and even clairo!) worked alongside the band in producing what according to the 1975, is not their magnum opus but rather a polaroid. strongly deviating from their previous works, one can even say that this work was a spin-off in a series of albums that did not dare to not experiment musically. this album also reached another playing field unknown to the band’s style. overall, this record succeeds in taming the 1975 in contrast to their previous work, notes on a conditional form, where they ventured into murky waters with each song distinguishable from the prior track. one major part of their creative process this time around, however, was to ensure their sound was unaltered by computers and as raw as possible with instrumentals. this enormously pays off as their tracks are indeed rich in ear-appealing instrumentals with tracks such as “happiness”, “i’m in love with you”, and “about you”.

compared to their other albums, this album had a much shorter tracklist and in conjunction, a shorter runtime. with 44 minutes and 11 songs, this is the shortest album in their arsenal and such a runtime begs the listener to give the whole album a listen multiple times. this may have been a lesson they personally took from their previous album which polarized not only the average listener but their fans as well. while rich in matty healy’s now signature social commentary, it surprisingly does not feel exhausting to listen about “teenagers and politics” over and over as referenced in “the 1975”. in fact, this may have been the band’s proper execution in portraying, what they refer to, as “postmodern”. “looking for somebody (to love)” manage to portray the grim cases of school shootings in a very upbeat manner, mirroring the government’s lack of actual care for the young generation with upbeat instrumentals. however, that is not to say that some songs fell short due to the excessive social commentaries. matty’s references to being “canceled” on social media may seem rather bizarre to new listeners due to a lack of context. at times, the apologetic stance taken on the album seems rather too candid and instead of what seems like an issue of over-sincerity. “wintering” however does a fantastic job of dismantling the current generation fighting with the older generations with politics ruining even on christmas, showing the sudden development newer generations have with their takes on, simply, politics.

however, this song strongly ties in with the romantic elements present in their self-titled album. “i’m in love with you” remains not only my favorite of this album but also the most played song on my spotify at the moment. this genuine expression of falling in love with someone starks the band’s philosophy where, according to matty, if a song by the band sounds happy, it probably is not a happy song. this recurring theme of sincerity is evident in “all i need to hear”, “about you”, and “when we are together”. fun fact, “about you” is the musical sequel to “robbers”, a track from their self-titled album. this track features a heavy distortion that although partially mutes matty’s vocals, mixes in fantastically with the bridge featuring carly holt. although “oh caroline” conveys a similar sentiment, with the other songs being more intimate it ends up in the shadow of the album (additionally due to the contrast of the flow of this song to others).

if there is indeed one issue this album faces, it is that it differentiated itself entirely from whatever they have made thus far. while an artist evolving musically takes patience and earnest praise, it may leave the general audience perplexed especially long-time fans. however, praise for this album is still growing which does say a lot about the band’s expertise in taking risks in their art. defying the tumblr cliche that plagued their musicality, the 1975 has managed to take a step into their next phase without any significant backlash. if anything, i would definitely say that the 1975 are at their very best.

track ratings:

1. The 1975: 4/5
2. Happiness: 5/5
3. Looking For Somebody (To Love): 3.5/5
4. Part Of The Band: 5/5
5. Oh Caroline: 3.5/5
6. I’m In Love With You: 197/5
7. All I Need To Hear: 4/5
8. Wintering: 4/5
9. Human Too: 4/5
10. About You: 5/5
11. When We Are Together: 4.5/5

sadab zia bonus: