Album Review: The 1975's Notes On A Conditional Form

Jun 19

Jun 19 Album Review: The 1975's Notes On A Conditional Form

We are right now in the beginning of a climate and ecological crisis

And we need to call it what it is

An emergency

These are the first lyrics in the 1975’s intro track on their new album, Notes on a Conditional Form, spoken by climate activist Greta Thunberg. The shift from this mindful and inspiring speech with an instrumental background to the punk, screamo-esque lead single ‘People’ is revolutionary. This contrast says more about our society and political climate than most modern media does, introducing the most intense head-banging and shrieking song The 1975 has ever produced. The beginning feels reminiscent of a 2000s film, feeling a cool as hell yet misunderstood vibe. Then, in a literal wake-up call, Matty Healy yells “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” into your ear with the intensity of a punk-rock singer, leading the song into a frenzy that soon becomes the antithesis of the first track, pouring out every bit of teen angst and misunderstanding into a cry for change and revolution.

The rest of the album takes you on a frenzy of experimental sounds and varieties of influences from low-fi beats you can study to, in “Yeah I Know”, to the dancing pop beats of “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” which resonates completely with old The 1975 music. With beautiful backing vocals from FKA Twigs, this track mixes the classic pop-rock sound of The 1975 with an awesome saxophone solo and a catchy hook. Other featured artists include the wonderfully calming voice of Phoebe Bridgers in “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America”, one of the most vulnerable 1975 songs, which gives off an existential, intimate harmony with stripped back vocals. The irony with this song can be sensed in the fact that Matty Healy is a self-proclaimed raging atheist. Stating that this song is a Healy’s struggle between wanting to belong to a faith and striving for salvation, and his abiding atheism.

I had the luck to experience this band live for the first time in my life last December at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago and one of the songs that stood out to me the most was “Frail State of Mind”. Little did I, or even the band themselves, know how culturally defining the opening lyrics to this song would become in a few months, stating “Go outside?

Seems unlikely.” This statement screams social isolation even though it was written before the pandemic we are facing had even begun. It seems like this song is a shifting point in the album, although it is only the fourth song out of twenty-two bangers, the created sense of isolation and uncertainty continues to grow throughout the record.

The album finally comes to an end with their last single before the release of the record, “Guys”, the nostalgic and sentimental love song about best friends. In an interview for Apple Music, Healy states that “There’s not many love songs about some of the most beautiful, powerful relationships in your life,” that is, the relationship with your best friends. This song provides a wonderfully soft and pure romantic yet platonic reflection and end to a genre-bending experimental album that ultimately focuses on the current moment.