12/5/18
10:43 PM
“You learn a couple things when you get to my age”
It’s true, at age 29, Matt Healy and his electropop band The 1975 has since evolved from their earlier works. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships takes the indie pop formula that they’ve been running with since their self-titled debut album and matures it into a smooth and easy listen that still carries the lyrical delivery as well as their synth and rock based sound.
The internet-themed album bounces between energetic and upbeat digital rhythms to deep and ardent heartaches into the past life of lead vocalist and lyricist Matt Healy. From “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”— the cheerful track about infidelity and inability to be faithful— to more composed and serene ballads like “Be My Mistake” that tells of relationships that Matt struggles to forget and attempts to neglect with fleeting satisfactions, The 1975 has mastered the art of duality within the human emotion and evokes empathy from far ends of its spectrum, as well as everything in between. Not only does the band have carefree and pleasant tunes contrasted with desolate and melancholy songs, they also have tracks that are neither of those polar feelings, displaying a balance of both bliss and depression. The lyrical play from Matt Healy still goes back to drugs and girls quite often, but is polished enough to retain content and weight; all the while relating these ideas back to online interactions. As Healy playfully scribbles on his songs with contradictions and almost meme-like lines, he still shows his talent for writing with subtle references and revelations of personal angles in his writing; strengthening the dearness of his songs to a intimate, yet widely relatable direction.
“I”ve been watching you walk
I’ve been learning the way that you talk
The back of your head is at the front of my mind
Soon I’ll crack it open just to see what’s inside your mind”
Looking from where they have come from in terms of technicality, a prodigious leap has been made in their sound. Matt Healy’s shaky and raw vocals have been refined to a more clear and charming tone. The band’s established driving, young, and rhythmic qualities have been sophisticated into a more relaxing and engaging atmosphere by tapping into jazz instrumentation and influences while maintaining the core values of their sound. Overall, achieving a more complete level of music elevates this album to a new height, where the band continues to mature and grow. The compound of acoustic instruments with digital complements draw out a new vibe that The 1975 is known for, yet also is still refreshing because it’s done just a little bit more elegantly with each subsequent album and with a little more detail to the incomplete and broken life of its author.
Listen to the album below: