Whilst many may condemn the band as being arrogant for naming their next tour ‘The 1975: At Their Very Best’, it seems that Being Funny In A Foreign Language does actually live up to the tour’s self indulgent title. The 1975 announced the start of their new era and the subsequent release of their fifth studio album on June 1st with cryptic Instagram posts and a revamped website. Being the first sign of activity since the deactivation of the group’s social media accounts at the start of the year, fans have been gearing up for new music and theatrical live shows.
The album begins with the fifth self-titled track, one of the many aspects that make up the band’s brand. ‘The 1975’ starts off with an almost ‘Baba O’Riley’-esque intro by including dissonant piano sounds mixed with strings. The track then leads into frontman Matty Healy’s usual social commentary about the state of the world. Mentions of the American Dream and condemning the use of young people as collateral damage may allude to the group’s disdain for the UK’s political climate. The track fades into a raw guitar solo from Adam Hann, that seamlessly blends together all of the group’s musical strengths.
The first taste that fans were given of the new era comes from ‘Part Of The Band’. The group’s teaser songs for new music often tend to be curveballs in terms of the overall sound of the new record, with this track following suit. ‘Part Of The Band’ takes on a stripped-back approach with a minimal guitar riff and light drum beats giving the track a dreamlike quality. Healy’s original flair comes through best via the lyrics. His somewhat rambling vocals give fans a sense of comfort that not much has really changed despite the musical upheaval: “I know some “Vaccinista tote bag chic baristas” / Sitting east on their communista keisters / Writing about their ejaculations”.
‘Looking For Somebody To Love’, feels like a well-executed track from the group’s previous album, Notes On A Conditional Form. The focus on electronic and synth sounds could have been taken straight from Notes but feel more polished compared to the chaos and seemingly underdeveloped ideas on the previous album. The flawless use of auto-tune over Healy’s vocals feels well thought out when placed next to overly produced tracks like ‘What Should I Say’.
Both ‘Happiness’ and ‘I’m In Love With You’ present listeners with some retro respite between the social commentary. The groovy bassline matched with the twangy guitar and saxophone solos make ‘Happiness’ the perfect 80s dance track. In a similar vein, ‘I’m In Love With You’ with its repetitive chorus and sincere lyrics creates an uplifting feel to an album that often focuses on heavier topics. This will definitely be a song that fans will be able to chant at their upcoming live shows.
‘Oh Caroline’ offers something for hardcore fans of the group, as it is reminiscent of their self-titled album. The guitar riffs feel similar to ‘Settle Down’ while highlighting the group’s progression as musicians. Even though the track is missing the rawness that came with The 1975’s debut album, ‘Oh Caroline’ will feel familiar to fans but with a more refined sound. Similarly, ‘Wintering’ has this same nostalgic energy with its fast-paced rhythm and standout guitar moments. Its tongue-in-cheek lyrics give the song a youthful feel making it unsurprising that it was originally a Drive Like I Do track, the group’s former band: “Mum’s not a fan of that line about her back / she said it makes her sound frumpy and old / I said woman! You are 64 years old”.
The moments of calm come from ‘All I Need To Hear’ and ‘Human Too’. Both tracks dip into jazz sounds allowing the listener to detach from the other more overstimulating songs. The underlying basslines drive both of these tracks and have given bassist Ross MacDonald the space to experiment with the slow pace provided by jazz sounds. Being Funny In A Foreign Language seems to take on a more sincere approach to music with both of these tracks being at the forefront of this.
Being able to finish off an album that is this well crafted is a difficult feat that not many bands would be able to achieve. However, The 1975 are in the minority with ‘When We Are Together’, a calming acoustic track. The song rounds off the album by using many of the similar themes that we hear throughout such as the opening’s piano, providing the listener with a sense of finality that is incredibly satisfying.
Being Funny In A Foreign Language is a more polished version of its predecessor. Notes On A Conditional Form, whilst arguably being the band’s least digestible album, was a necessary learning process for the group in order to test a more electronic and synth-based sound. The shorter tracklist seems to force the band to think more about the overall production of the album and what sounds they want to drive it forward. By taking inspiration from all of their previous LPs, The 1975 have been able to create their most comprehensive album to date.
Words by Amy Britton
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