The 1975’s newest album, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” brings a refreshing sound for their fans. PHOTO CREDIT: readdork.com
The 1975 has returned to form with their newest record, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” the fifth album from the British indie-electro pop group which gives a breath of fresh air to their fans.
While the band has existed for two decades, their output only truly began eleven years into their existence, topping British album charts with their self-titled debut album in 2013, introducing the world to their unique blend of synthpop and rock through songs such as “The City,” “Girls” and “Chocolate.”
Their second album only proved the band had staying power, with “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet so Unaware of It” topping not only British charts upon its release, but Billboard’s top 200 album chart, as well.
The band began shifting directions with their third album “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships,” transitioning into more experimental sounds and creating a concept album, yet still topping British charts.
Though their fourth album, “Notes on a Conditional Form,” still debuted at number one in the UK, it polarized their fanbase. As the title suggests, the songs do not necessarily flow together, feeling somewhat disconnected. Though some are turned away by this, others have considered it their best album to date.
After two years, The 1975 have not missed a beat with their fifth studio album, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language.” Matty Healey and the rest of his band partnered up with Grammy Award winning producer Jack Antonoff to create an elevated version of their debut and sophomore album’s sound.
As Healey put it in an interview with Apple Music, “The working title, up until I chickened out, was ‘At Their Very Best.’” If this had been their final title, it would not have been far from the truth.
This album hits an almost perfect balance between all of their sounds, using the experimentation of their newer albums and pop sounds of their earlier records. It follows the traditional structure of an album by The 1975, beginning with a self-titled song, and venturing into a wide spread of themes, moods and tempos. As with many of their songs, love takes a firm grasp over much of the album from multiple perspectives.
The best songs on the album would have to be “Happiness,” “Oh Caroline” and “I’m In Love With You.”
“Happiness” is an incredibly upbeat love song about Healey’s connection with a significant other, over an incredibly bouncy and upbeat instrumental that features saxophone solos throughout.
“Oh Caroline” is a song about wanting another chance with someone, over an emotional, yet still lowkey instrumental track that drones in the perfect manner for the song. “I’m In Love With You” feels like the perfect example of a song by The 1975. It is a song purely about being in love with someone, and having that feeling distract from anything else going on.
The album, of course, is not perfect. “Human Too” is the weakest song on the album. While not terrible, the song is best described as a forgettable jazz lounge song. It sounds as though it would be filler on the Arctic Monkeys’ “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino.”
This isn’t entirely unusual however, as The 1975 have a habit of sounding like other bands, while blending many genres with their sound. Their songs “Give Yourself A Try” and “Milk” off previous records, and “Wintering” off this album sound very similar to songs by Joy Division, M83 and Bleachers, respectively. Each, however, still holds a unique sound distinct to them.
If you have never listened to The 1975 before, this album would absolutely be a great place to start. If nothing else, it is a catchy and fun album with strong themes of love, great songwriting and catchy instrumentals. For those already familiar with the band, it is a wonderful return to what made the band great in the first place. It is absolutely worth the listen.