Touching on modern politics, our love-hate relationship with technology and the experience of living as a millennial, The 1975 deliver an eclectic masterpiece with ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.’
The 1975’s third album tells a story. Multiple in fact – as it erratically flits between bubble-gum pop to glitchy to ballads and everything in between.
The offering seems very personal, and refreshingly honest with tracks like ‘Be My Mistake’ which talks about on-tour loneliness and infidelity. Yet there’s a quirky balance brought in by tracks like ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’. But among these confessional creations is a number like ‘Love It If We Made It’ which subtly – and somehow still boldly – points at the horrors of the current world.
The album’s intermission comes to you straight from the voice that lives in your phone – Siri. With more depth than you’d think capable of him/her, Siri narrates ‘The Man Who Married A Robot/Love Theme’ which takes you on a journey of love, loneliness, data and the Internet.
The offering is stocked full of grey areas, that accept and simultaneously debate the times we live in. But these greys are seamlessly mellowed out by hues of a heavenly soundscape. From a transcending drum beat in ‘I Like America & America Like Me’ to tastefully auto-tuned ‘Inside Your Mind’, every track comes with a surprising treat to the ears.
However, the biggest curveball comes in the form of standout track ‘Mine.’ The jazz influenced number is breath-taking, with a beat that stays with you long after you’ve heard it.
Strong lyricism, a reverberating sound this is a piece of work that is profound, witty and serious, and many other adjectives all at the same time. There’s nothing brief about ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’- it’s an in-depth exploration of the band themselves, of the world and the people that live in it.
You can listen to the album on Spotify.
By Malvika Padin