Over the past few months, we have been bombarded with new albums from some of our favorite artists. I personally was most excited for The 1975’s album Being Funny in a Foreign Language. I have been a fan of the band for almost a decade, and I have celebrated every album drop since their self-titled debut in 2013. As their sound has evolved over the years, I have fallen even more in love with their music. I spent months anticipating the new album, and upon its delivery, I can say I most certainly was not disappointed.
The English band, formed in Manchester in 2002, first announced the album over the summer through postcards mailed to fans. Their social media accounts were all deactivated before returning with the first visuals of the new era. The first single, “Part of the Band,” was released on July 7th and was met with rave reviews. The three subsequent singles — “Happiness,” “I’m in Love with You,” and “All I Need to Hear” — were loved by long-time fans and new listeners alike. The sound was reminiscent of some of their previous album, Notes on a Conditional Form, which received mixed reviews upon its release in 2020. These first peeks into the new album set fans’ expectations very high, and the excitement on the internet was palpable when the album was finally released on October 14th.
The album began as always with a self-titled song. Their first three albums begin with “The 1975,” all containing the same lyrics but set to different music. However, on this album, the lyrics were different — following the new precedent set with the previous album. It was a welcomed change, however, with new lyrics that fans could appreciate. The lead singer, Matty Healy, uses the song to hold himself accountable for mistakes he has made in the past, as well as to comment on the overall repercussions of today’s internet-centered culture.
The band has often used a similar approach to comment on issues such as climate change and social injustice. Their last album’s version of “The 1975” included a speech from Greta Thunberg, a choice admired by many fans who had urged the band in the past to use their platform more effectively. Most of the other songs on this album address love and romance, but they often go deeper into self-identity as well. Though not perfect, many of the songs are still upbeat and fun to listen to.
“I’m sorry if you’re livin’ and you’re seventeen”
“The 1975” by The 1975
I may be biased, but I believe the fifth song on the album, “Oh Caroline,” is one of the best. Towards the middle of the album, it’s an upbeat song that reminds me of some of the band’s earlier music. But this song, and all the others, do feel new in different ways. There is a greater jazz presence in this album, with lots of appearances from the band’s go-to saxophone player, John Waugh. While the band itself does most of the production on their music, they enlisted the help of Bleachers’s Jack Antonoff for this album. Some fans thought that Antonoff was too heavy-handed with his production style and others complained that the instrumentals were too toned down. However, I thought it was well-mixed, and knowing the boys make all the final decisions, I do not think Antonoff’s influence was too overwhelming.
There were, however, parts of the album that other fans and I were not in love with. The eighth song, “Human Too,” seemed to be the fans’ least favorite. The song, while not bad, is not quite as captivating as the others. The lyrics and rhythm feel repetitive and simplistic, which isn’t wrong on the surface, but just doesn’t hold up when compared to the rest of the album. This is the only song that might be considered a ‘skip,’ but even then, I’ll categorize it as a ‘light skip’ — I’ll still gladly enjoy it when it plays.
My favorite song, however, is the seventh on the album: “All I Need to Hear.” We first heard this song a year ago when Healy opened for Phoebe Bridgers with an acoustic set. Fans immediately fell in love, and less-than-great quality recordings of the performance were being passed around on Twitter as fans hoped for a studio version. So when it was announced as a single, we were all over the moon at the idea of hearing it the way it was meant to be heard. The song delivered — and I fell in love immediately. The sentimental lyrics and soft instrumentals combined to create, what I would consider, the best song on the album. I have a feeling it is already my most listened-to song from the album.
“Oh, just tell me you love me
‘Cause that’s all that I need to hear”
“All I Need to Hear” – The 1975
Being Funny in a Foreign Language has risen to one of my favorite releases from The 1975 — though nothing will ever beat their self-titled album. The CD has been on repeat in my car for days, and I haven’t gotten tired of a single song. Now we are all anticipating their upcoming tour and the opportunity to hear all these new songs live. The 1975 are true artists, and I know whatever they do next will leave us all impressed once again.