The 1975 continues to bring a unique voice on their third album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. The 1975 has come back with songs about everything from the political climate to introspection on human relations to their own lives. As their musical journey has gone on, they have attracted a varied audience and matured exponentially as artists. Their newest album exemplifies this growth.
A shining example of the band’s creativity is their lyrics. In “Love It If We Made It,” lines such as “modernity has failed us,” and “thank you Kanye, very cool,” speak to the political climate and world since the 2016 election. This is one appeal of the band. They let listeners get intimately close to their beliefs and experiences. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships varies in its delivery. It encompasses a lot of influences through lyrics and overall melody. Some influences include John Hughes, a director from the 1980s, all the way to Drake. Their album seems a bit chaotic, but it’s undoubtedly real. Some songs, such as “I Like America and America Likes Me,” which is about gun control, rely on electronic beats, while others, like “Be My Mistake,” are more reliant on an acoustic backing. The album flips between different styles beyond music beats, but as with their other albums, that diversity has become their trademark. The band conveys that they are constantly exploring their creative talents, as well as the world around them. Their range of tone allows them to be suited to many different situations, although at times the background music overpowers the song.
In “Give Yourself A Try,” the band has a heavy electric guitar bass, which hides the reflective and motivational lyrics underneath. It is also in other songs, but is left out of those with a softer melody. Those songs are less complicated in arrangement and are some of the best on the album. This could be solved fairly easily if the electric guitar becomes less prevalent and more strategic in its placement. That way the lyrics and the guitar each get their shining moments, such as in the song, “Love It If We Made It.”
The 1975’s heartfelt lyrics and variety of melodies have landed them a supportive fan and as they go on, they will only get more popular. The lane in which their music exists is solely theirs. They bring a unique sound and approach, as well as the excitement of new musical arrangements as well as the awareness of the world around them and the world inside their heads. With this mindset, the music industry will surely take note of this pop rock band and their newest music.