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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Butler chapter.

The 1975’s New Album: A Song-by-Song Breakdown

 

The 1975 just released their new album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, and it has built up quite a bit of hype. Speaking for myself, I am consistently impressed by the songs that the band releases. Their last album, I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, included such masterpieces as “Love Me,” “UGH!,” “She’s American,” and “Somebody Else.” It was hard to imagine how anything could quite measure up. I sat down and took a listen to the new album in its entirety, here are my song-by-song thoughts.

 

  1. The 1975

 

I know they always put this song at the beginning of their albums. This one seems to have the same lyrics but a bit of a different feel to it. It sounds kind of jazzy but I’m not sure how I feel about the effect they used on their voices. I could live without this version?

 

  1. Give Yourself A Try

 

I think this was the first single they released for the album. I can see why, it’s definitely very representative of their sound as a whole. This one’s tune doesn’t excite me that much, but I really like the lyrics. “The only apparatus required for happiness is your pain and f****** going outside.” Why does this speak to me?

 

  1. TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME

 

I don’t know what to say about this one except that I just wanna dance. Actually, I listened to this single a lot when it came out, which was during a pretty terrible time for me. So this one kind of reminds me of crying in cars but I can overlook that because its just. So. Catchy.

 

  1. How to Draw / Petrichor

 

The beginning of this reminds me of a lullaby. I feel soothed. They use another voice effect here that I’m not super down with still, but I don’t mind it as much. It’s just very relaxing, even the second half that’s a little more synth-y. I think it’s a good break from the very upbeat songs we’ve heard thus far. I’m a fan.

 

  1. Love It If We Made It

 

This is BY FAR my favorite song on this album. Possibly my favorite song they’ve ever released. This has all the makings of an absolute BOP, but at the same time…it makes me feel things. It has political undertones, it has a beat that makes me wanna twirl around my room, it inexplicably makes me want to cry. Someone please take this song away from me.

 

  1. Be My Mistake

 

Is this………..Acoustic????? Is this the same album? I’m kind of ok with this. These lyrics are a bit odd, but I love it. This is beautiful. Wow. “I don’t wanna hug, I just wanna sleep.” This is both relatable and un-relatable (see my bio). I’m liking this vulnerable, raw sound. I don’t think I’ve heard Matty like this before.

 

  1. Sincerity is Scary

 

This chord progression is a bit out of character, but I think it works for them. It ties back to the slightly jazzy feel of “The 1975” from the beginning. I wouldn’t say it’s the best song on the album, but I think it stands out from the others for sure.

 

  1. I Like America & America Likes Me

 

Ooh, ok. This sounds like a dreamy space sequence to me. I wanna float around in a space suit while listening to this. I could also imagine this being the song that plays in the background of a coming of age movie while teenagers set their childhood homes on fire but the burning houses are out of focus. I think that’s a genre of music.

 

  1. The Man Who Married a Robot / Love Theme

 

Storytelling? Social commentary? This is kind of sad. The music behind and after the story is BREATHTAKING.

 

  1. Inside Your Mind

 

This song is confirming some of my thoughts that this album is very cinematic. I’m seeing this at the end of a movie as the main characters drive wistfully away from each other and it cuts to black. Maybe that was their intention. It feels like the end of something.

 

  1. It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

 

SO GOOD! So good. This is exactly what you would expect from them. I could see this on any of their three albums. More lyrics that make me feel emotions: “All I do is sit and think about you.” I just have to say that I’m a little bit offended about how much these lyrics are doing for me. I just really like it.

 

  1. Surrounded By Heads And Bodies

 

More acoustic!! More pretty chords!! I am so impressed by the diversity of this album. The whole thing feels very personal. The light piano in the background makes this feel so delicate. “It hurts to be awake.”

 

  1. Mine

 

A modern, jazzy, romantic feeling. This feels good to my soul. This is the kind of song you cry to at midnight when you’ve had a rough day. It reminds me of something Michael Buble would release, in the best way possible.

 

  1. I Couldn’t Be More In Love

 

This is a total 90’s love ballad. I love it. KEY CHANGES!!!!

 

  1. I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)

 

I’m hearing a bit of John Mayer, which might just be because I listen to too much John Mayer. But this is really nice, a good soft-rock-y tune. I think this is an interesting song to end on? Definitely not something I would see coming, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it.

 

Final thoughts: This album was filled with very classic The 1975 tunes, like “Give Yourself A Try,” “Love It If We Made It,” and “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).” However, we were given some new sounds. Some very cinematic, film score-like songs like “I Like America & America Likes Me,” and “Inside Your Mind” interspersed with some very personal sounding pieces like “Be My Mistake,” “Mine,” and “I Couldn’t Be More In Love.” Overall, I’m a big fan, but I wish there had been more songs I could dance to. That’s my only criticism. 9/10.

Kath Bergmann

Butler '21

Kath is a senior at Butler University and a self-identified introvert/INFJ. She's a lover of twinkly lights, christmas, cinema, music and romance. She's studying to be a high school English teacher, but her dream job is to work in a school library. She also loves hugs.
Rae Stoffel

Butler '20

Rae Stoffel is a senior at Butler University studying Journalism with a double minor in French and strategic communications. With an affinity for iced coffee, blazers, and the worlds worst jokes, she calls herself a witty optomistic, which can be heavily reflected in her writing. Stoffel is a Chicago native looking forward to returning to the windy city post graduation.