The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

What an odd predicament. If you had told me X-amount of years ago that a band forced to start their own label because they couldn’t convince anyone to give them a chance would arguably own a decade musically, I might have laughed at you. Or called you a liar. Probably both. And yet here we are. From the intimate grime of their self-titled debut to the expansive electro/drug pop of behemoth I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, The 1975 have been the defining band of the 2010s, an image spurred largely by the relentless mania of frontman Matt Healy. Known for their addictive hooks and exclusive mix of radio-friendly melodies, dance rock and illicit imagery, the quartet return with A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and a sober frontman, now free of his heroin addiction.

So. What happens when a band driven by a drug-riddled organised chaos strips away all the hyperbole?

Never shirking from candour, Healy is more forthcoming than ever before on A Brief… which tackles, among other world-beating issues, his full spectrum: anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and drug abuse. Now 29 and clean, Healy + Co. embark on their most revealing, raw and vulnerable expedition yet. At fifteen tracks long, they have lost none of their exuberance and gained a startling depth and wisdom to accompany their urban, airy groove. Still, there is a lot of unfamiliar territories to uncover throughout this journey, as the Manchester four-piece are almost completely unrecognisable from their debut sound, yet still retained is their ardent fervour. Less like Radiohead’s Kid A and more like Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, A Brief… is a seminal piece of art that reaches new heights by turning its established norms on its head, without alienating its fanbase.

Opening with lead single Give Yourself A Try, A Brief… is very much its father's son. The albums dawn has a much more positive, powerful and inclusive view that previous releases, fuelled by the enigmatic frontman’s new lifestyle, but much like its creator, it has its impossible-to-ignore darker undertones. High tempo, upbeat guitars, keys and synths escort a stark warning against low self-esteem and its consequences, with the title and chorus been largely a plea rather than an order. This observational, introspective ethos becomes a microcosm for the album at large, which sees Healy dig deeper into both his own and a collective human consciousness. Indeed, it soon becomes clear that A Brief… is, at its heart, crying out for authenticity and connection in an increasingly cold, digital world that rewards only the best and crushes the rest. The album title mentions as much, as computerised connections are regarded as one would a crime, something to be investigated and examined as opposed to embraced. Going against the grain, it would seem, sees Healy at his most comfortably creative.

No stranger to baring his soul, Healy’s latest work is a sonnet dedicated to the things he has come to value the most: connection, trust, honesty. Base human traits that have become worth their weight in gold. On the subject of honesty, in particular, Healy does not hold back. Posing the question mid-song “What would you say to your younger self” he answers autobiographically: 

“Growing a beard's quite hard

And whiskey never starts to taste nice

And you'll make a lot of money, and it's funny

'Cause you'll move somewhere sunny and get addicted to drugs

And spend obscene amounts on fucking seeds and beans online”

Neither a case of martyrism nor a self-pitying appeal for help. Just the truth. Funny and sad. Frank and forward. Surprisingly mundane, and yet shockingly not. Human. Flaws and all. I found myself drawn to this stanza a number of times, struck by how it is both heavy and weightless simultaneously. This is a common thread throughout, the melding of hard-hitting themes and truth with pop-infused smoothness and swooping indie/synth rock. 

As with all great pop, however, it’s not just darkness and larger than life themes. There’s more than a fair amount of anger and outrage too. A sensitive soul (Modern life it would seem, is not quite his style), Healy expresses his frustrations on tracks Love It If We Made It and The Man Who Married A Robot. The latter, a cynical, detached auto tuned masterclass in cyber predilection. The story of a man who weds the internet and a chilling ode to the dystopian dangers of modern living, it is a less than relaxed break from the action that is in parts witty, critical, despondent and heartbreaking. The former is a beast of its own proportions and easily the most impressive track released. From the opening lines, Love It… is startlingly political. The three millennial theatres of war - sexual activity, substance abuse and social politics - are all name-checked with the first ten seconds, while the fetishisation of black culture vs. the value of black lives, the strain refuge crisis and self-destructive attitudes are all examined lines later. The chorus, I’d love it if we made it, is less sang and more bitterly laughed out. I remain unsure if it's sarcastic or not. Bridging the gap between optimism and capitulation with a backdrop of raindrop keys and breathless electronica, Love It… is remarkably addictive despite its harsh nature.

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is a sonic pleasure, the masterpiece in The 1975’s already storied discography. Epic in height and proportion, deep with meaning and believability and, most importantly, hopeful. Not a rule book, nor is it advisory, but instead a personal, quite real, staggeringly human voice in the darkness. Imagine a solitary candle amongst a field of LCD’s. Finite and inefficient but utterly aflame with life and noise. That, is A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Unwilling to pull punches, bite on tongues or protect your feelings, this is an essential record for modern life. Littered with jazz, pop, rock and electronic influences, if a more potent ballad for authenticity exists I do not know it. An unmissable piece of music.