Last week, the well-known British alternative rock band released their third studio album after a couple of months teasing the aesthetic and some singles from the album on their social media.

Some notable singles released were “Give yourself a try” and “Love it if we made it”, featuring a deviation from their lyrical style, but still maintaining the pop essence that made them a hit with their previous albums.

The track “Give yourself a try” features a very aggressive guitar riff, that loops through the whole song, as well as electronic drums, and a particularly relaxed and slightly monotonous vocal delivery from the frontman Matthew Healy, which caused mixed responses from the audience.

“Love it if we Made it” is a much more impactful song, that features the usage of controversial lyricism to draw the attention in the listener, noticeably starting with the lines, “shooting heroin", etc.

Take it as you will, but this can be interpreted as the band’s attempt to make fun of their previous musical feats. This can also be seen in the music video for “Girls”, a hit track on their self-titled album, where they make fun of their pop style in the beginning of the video.

A notable feature that is constant throughout the album is the strong usage of various synthesizers, some with a close resemblance to more obscure artists like “Bon Iver”, referencing the artist with the usage of the Vocoder synthesizer in the front-man’s vocal delivery.

The transitions between songs are, in our opinion, is not the best, with different rhythms and styles the tracks don’t seem to have a clear cohesion that binds them together sonically.

Nevertheless, we can find a thematic cohesion, as the album’s intention is to criticize the usage of technology in the modern world, and how it has consumed a big part of our interactions with others, including love, friendship and even regular conversations, utilizing the image of the new generations of the “millennials” to set the tone, and the lack of continuity might be part of the allusion.

Not to compare, but this intention can also be found in the legendary “OK Computer” by Radiohead, released on 1997. Some media have even gone as far as to compare both albums, which we respectfully disagree to, since Radiohead’s style is much more trascendental, influencing the whole British music scene, and speaks about the internal conflicts caused by technology, while The 1975 is a much more pop sound, speaking about the interpersonal aspect that tech affects.

Overall, the album is a pleasant listen for fans of the pop style of music, but whoever seeks a more rich instrumental background could find themselves disappointed.

Visit: https://the1975.com/