Guest Review: The 1975

UPDATE (1/13/2017 3:44 AM): Posting Review in full due to broken ATeenView link. Read the review as it appeared originally on ATV below:

So far, 2013 has been a crazy year for music with veteran artists making grand comebacks and releasing incredible new material, but brace yourselves everyone, because the best album of 2013 has finally arrived and it’s by a band you’ve likely never even heard of. Composed of Matthew Healy, Adam Hann, George Daniel, and Ross MacDonald, the four piece UK indie rock band, The 1975, have just released their incredible self titled debut album, for which I will personally riot in the streets for if it does not get a nomination at the upcoming Grammys.

The 1975 is a one of a kind band whose members are so sure of themselves as musicians, and it shows in their music without a doubt. All of their debut album’s 16 songs incorporate a wide range of different influences; tracks like “Settle Down” and “Girls” feel like a trip back to the 80s, while “The City” and “Sex” have a more modern and alternative feel, and the rest sound like a mixture of the two combined with a dash of R&B and just about everything else in between. However, The 1975 has made it all fit together in their own unique way. The track listing is perfectly thought out to create an entrancing and cohesive experience. The first song, full of subtly mixed sounds, serves as an eerie and theatrical introduction to the album, two soothing and reflective interludes are placed exactly where you need them, and the final song’s piano ballad serves as a wonderfully modest ending. Every move these 4 talented musicians made on this album feels deliberate and smart, with every aspect of the album’s sound working together effortlessly.

Vocally, lead singer Matthew Healy’s range is simply wonderful. His voice can go anywhere and sound great. Add in the supporting harmonies and the resulting vocal performance is so pleading and so haunting that it sends chills up my spine and even actual tears to my eyes. I have to close my eyes as I listen to it because it makes me wish the world would just disappear. One of the more mellow and ballad like songs on the album, “Robbers,” highlights Healy's striking voice, which just digs into you and stirs up all kinds of emotions, creating an extremely intimate experience. His vocals are so raw that there's no way of ignoring it. Combine that with honest and expertly crafted lyrics, along with The 1975's unique and expansive soundscapes that utilize a diverse selection of instruments and tones (kudos to them for bringing in the saxophone), the songs on this album consume you completely.

Literally every song on The 1975’s debut is just as perfect as the one before it, but I’m going to have to claim “She Way Out” as my favorite. What really grabs me about this track is that it has everything I've ever loved about music since I was a little kid grooving to my parents’ old school disco and motown compilation albums in my living room – a strong bass line and a steady drum beat that practically commands your body to move. When I first heard it, I sprang up from my chair and just started dancing like crazy, which was quite an interesting sight I bet, considering it was the middle of the night and I was listening to the album on my computer with my headphones on (I deserve a medal for keeping them plugged in and on my head through all that). My uncontrollable and unidentifiable dance moves aside, I want this song to play in the background whenever I enter a room for the rest of my life and I mean that in the full on, cheesy teen movie, boy meets girl kind of way. The song has that type of vibe that demands you sit up and take notice of it. I'm attributing that to the sassy rhythm guitar that drives the track from the very beginning to the very end. Healy’s British accent is perfect for this track too. Something about his voice just adds a quirky quality to the song that complements the sassy and upbeat instrumentation, tying the whole song together.

The 1975 have put together a masterpiece with their first album that holds its own among all the phenomenal new music that has surfaced this year. If you haven’t heard the album yet, you can listen to it on Spotify or The 1975’s Soundcloud and then once you’ve fallen in love with it, you can buy the album on iTunes, Amazon, The 1975’s website, or in stores near you. Trust me, you’re going to fall in love with it too.

UPDATE (10/8/2016 7:46 PM): Removed broken link.

Original Auditory Adventurer Post:

This site would be nothing without the help of a few key people. One of those, who has been the biggest help over the last year and a half if my editor, Adrienne Beckham who I met when we were both…

I was lucky enough to write a guest review of The 1975’s debut album for ATeenView. Click on the link above to read my review on the site and while you’re there check out some more reviews written by the wonderful Arin Segal! More reviews from me on this blog are coming soon this week too so keep an eye out and let me know what you think of my guest review :)