Album Review: The 1975 - 'The 1975'

The 1975 stated that they wanted to make an album on which every song could be a potential single, and they have achieved that with their self titled debut full length. Those familiar with the group's many EPs will be less surprised by this record as it features tracks like 'The City' and 'Sex', which were singles on previous releases.

Despite picking some tracks from the back catalogue, the album is incredibly cohesive and enjoyable from beginning to end. This is borderline guilty pleasure music due to the pop elements, but there are some massive nods to the 80's sound, especially Prince, which are done so well it is impossible to write this album off as some radio indie rock attempt.

There is an even mix of electronic and acoustic instruments used throughout every track with every element managing a hooky melody, lead single 'Chocolate' is, as is most of this record, summertime music, with a bright and up-tempo feel. The album stand-outs are the synth driven 'Heart On', complete with a well placed saxophone solo, and the partly instrumental 'Menswear', which begins with some lo-fi melodic synth work and a groove heavy electronic beats before exploding into a beat driven but relaxed dance track.

Lyrically, the album grounds itself in the reality of a young partying lifestyle, relationship issues, money problems, drug encounters, welcome to your weekend explained with cruisy guitar lines and dance beats. The record closes on 'Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You', a sad piano ballad that completely changes the feel set by its predecessors and shows a different dynamic to frontman Matthew Healy's vocal abilities.

Considering only two of the sixteen tracks are short introduction/interludes, the record is quite long, but never becomes tiresome, it's too catchy, and nostalgic, a track like Robbers could have played against an old Baywatch episode that you watched on Saturday night when you were at home as a kid right before Quantum Leap, ah the memories......

This is the indie rock album of the year and it earns this title by creating something new for the genre by recycling old sounds and ideas with a modern twist. That and the fact that there are so many hooks that will get stuck in your head, it is impossible to ignore the brilliant writing talents of The 1975.

1. The 1975

2. The City

3. M.O.N.E.Y

4. Chocolate

5. Sex

6. Talk!

7. An Encounter

8. Heart Out

9. Settle Down

10. Robbers

11. Girls

12. 12

13. She Way Out

14. Menswear

15. Pressure

16. Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You