The 1975 is one of my favorite bands out right now. I appreciate their attention to relevant politics and making lively pop music. Despite being someone who’s wary of celebrities becoming quasi-activists, I still find it in myself to listen to every release. In a similar way to The Style Council, the 80s pop-soul-new wave band that also championed compassionate politics, The 1975 used to wear thousand dollar outfits and play sets with glasses of wine in-hand.
They were as out of touch with these issues as white, affluent, able-bodied men can be. If this were any other band, I would've written the lyrics off as disingenuous and tone deaf. But their newer lyrics show a level of concern that suggests that they might understand the scale of some of these issues. For example, on “Love It If We Made It” from their third studio release "A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships" they diagnose a lot of the world's most relevant issues (“Selling melanin and then / suffocate the black man,” caught my eye). The vocals are anarchic, the writing is sympathetic, and their messages are clear. Whether or not their attempts at building community are honest, that’s up to you.
I can't explain why but I've enjoyed The 1975 with every release since "Chocolate" hit the radio in 2013. I admire Matty Healy’s sobering journey to self-actualization and determination to challenge the band’s sonic capabilities with each release. The band’s talent in execution appears in their latest album, "Notes on a Conditional Form": they naturally explored 90s grunge, UK house, and Bob Dylan-style folk under one project. I appreciate when acts go outside of their norms and have genuine fun – the kind that you can hear in vocals and arrangements – instead of chasing a Pitchfork score.
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