I’ve rarely felt so conflicted about a band. On the one hand, and needless to say, I find everyone under the age of 30 to be profoundly objectionable, and few people born before the turn of the millennium would publicly admit to liking the 1975. Around 50% of their output is disposable, R’N’B-derivative electropop, and their frontman is a pogoing dipstick of Bono-like pomposity. On the other hand, and I say this through gritted teeth, there’s something interesting, even exciting, about them. They (a) have some great tunes, in stark contrast to their almost impressively forgettable peers, (b) the cartoonish volatility of their frontman immediately stands out in an age of studied and defensive PR manager-moulded monotony, and (c) the skittish manner in which they hop from one genre to the next is intriguingly postmodern, the mark of an end times band, acutely aware of and erratically reproducing everything that preceded them. So, with all of that in mind, let’s see what they’re made of, shall we?
10. “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)”
Matthew briefly developed a smack habit because it’s what all his Britpop-era heroes did and, though the resulting song isn’t as good as “Beetlebum”, it remains an entertainingly manic homage to A-ha.
9. “Lostmyhead”
In the midst of the usual pop guff on I Like It When You Sleep, For Only Then Do You Shut The Fuck Up, or whatever the second album is called, the 1975 drop this, well… Nine Inch Nails-like industrial bombshell into the mix. Good for them.
8. “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
Mike Rutherford called on his oversize car phone because he wants his throbbing synth-infused bassline back, but nonetheless, the combination of 80s dadrock and seedy OnlyFans-era wordplay is titillating.
7, 6, and 5. “Girls”, “Love Me”, and “Chocolate”
These three belong together because, for a band that hops around like a japing ten year old on a summer Adderall break, they’re the closest the 1975 get to a consistent “signature style”; seedy white-boy funk with Dr. Who synths and buoyant choruses.
4. “She’s American”
We’ve not done Wacko Jacko yet, so let’s give that a whirl. Bluesy electro-funk, amusing transatlantic lyrics about how Brits are skinny and smart but need their teeth sorting out. I could have sung it myself, actually.
3. “Somebody Else”
Matthew whining about a woman who left him for the ten thousandth time, and it probably wasn’t even Tay-Tay at this point, but so what? It’s the Pet Shop Boys doing R’n’B and that’s great, even if the Weeknd beat them to it.
2. “Oh Caroline”
30 seconds after Mike Rutherford hung up, Bruce frigging Hornsby was on the blower, threatening legal action over that piano line. Matty’s not answering though; he’s been dumped again and is thinking about topping himself. Just ignore the soppy little shit and concentrate on the glorious pop soul chorus.
1. “About You”
Dave Gahan, M83 and Slowdive walk into a bar, but there’s no punch line because Taylor ghosted their washed up asses. So instead, they wrote this sentimental wall of sound-like meditation on how it’s better to have loved and lost than… well, you get the idea. Now shut the fuck up, Matthew.