The Album:

An album that was highly anticipated in 2018 was this one, so let’s see if The 1975 lived up to the hype. When first listening to this album, it is apparent that the band was out to give their listeners an album that was going to sound very on brand, but also something that began to edge forward in terms of musical innovation, which worked well for the band overall. The majority of the instrumentation for the album is simple, and the instrumental moments that occur throughout the release are paired with different electronic tones. Some of these electronic techniques are subtle and just fill out the texture, and in other instances, the electronics take the forefront to give the audience an entirely different spin on the band’s characteristic sound. Keeping this in mind, it is a surprise that the band includes selections that are either upbeat or relaxed. When knowing the techniques utilized on the record, it would, normally, be safe to assume that the album would be packed with songs that would just bop along and that would be that. However, The 1975 wasn’t having that, and they were going to give their listeners a ballad or two, which was a nice separation to place on the album, musically speaking. In general, this album falls half on the stereotypical approach for the style of music that The 1975 plays, but the band does utilize a variety of genres to spice up tracks here and there, which pulls the band slightly away from that generalist claim. Moreover, I would give this album a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I am giving this album such a score because there are tracks on the record that are musically interesting, but when speaking in terms of musical content, there isn’t a lot of content that would be considered ear-catching.

 

Top Tracks:

“Sincerity is Scary”, “Be My Mistake”, and “Inside Your Mind”

As mentioned in the general review, a lot of the tracks present on this album are rather average; however, these tracks are the selections that pull the listeners’ attention almost immediately. This is because each of these pieces give the audience something new for the artist either through the use of different techniques, or through the blending of several genres in one. Therefore, if you are going to check out any tracks from this record: it should be these.

 

The Artwork:

 When first glancing at the album artwork, one may be intrigued by it, for there isn’t much to the overall design. The cover is primarily white with a few color specs located randomly throughout the frame. Additionally, the track listing as well as the title of the album is found on the right side when looking at it head on, but other than that, that is everything that is present on the cover. This may be a strong choice for the artist, for it isn’t overly busy, so it won’t be overwhelming to the consumer. Keeping that in mind, the simplicity may bring in audience members, for they may want to know what music lies behind the ominous cover. When diving into the music itself, it becomes clear that the two marry perfectly. The majority of the music found on the record is overly simple with an electronic flair. This approach is widely progressive and true to the modern age that the music scene is currently in. Taking all of this into consideration, it is no surprise that the cover isn’t overly flashy because the music found on the record isn’t either, and the tiny color specs could symbolize the large use of electronics, for the sounds that are present on the album are sporadic, but they create a cohesive image, just as the color specs do with the white background. Lastly, the record itself has a fresh and sleek sound to it, and that is the exact image that the artist places upon the cover of the album. Furthermore, the cover art meshes perfectly with the album, and it will enhance the entire musical experience when looking at the project as a whole.

*”A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” was released on November 30^th, 2018 through bother Polydor and Interscope Records.