The 1975’s name is taken from a book of beat poetry once given to frontman Matt Healy. “1 June, The 1975” was scrawled on one of the pages which intrigued Healy and it subsequently became the name under which the band was to become successful.
So, on the 1st June this year, we are declaring it as The 1975 day! Here are 20 songs by the band you need in your life.
The last month or so has been a dizzy concoction of success and excitement for The 1975. They performed on American TV, on both Saturday Night Live and The Jimmy Fallon Show, released their new highly-anticipated album ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘* to critical acclaim and have seen the album rocket to the top of the charts in five countries, including the UK and the US. The atmosphere in Brixton’s O2 Academy mirrored these successes on Wednesday evening as the buzz of almost five thousand fans filled the venue.
The evening commenced with a half hour set by The Japanese House, the project of shy but endearing Londoner Amber Bain. She shares a record label with The 1975 (the doing of The 1975’s Matt Healy and George Daniel who introduced the label to her in addition to producing some of her work) and musically draws upon similar influences. Her melancholic electronica is soaked in vocal effects and scatty sound samples which makes it a compelling listen, although it cries out for slightly more variation. Nevertheless, she was met with a warm reaction from the audience, particularly for the up-tempo ‘Cool Blue‘, one of her strongest tracks. She is certainly in possession of something special and is one to watch.**
Over the next half an hour, Brixton academy filled to the brim, the house lights dimmed gradually and an eerie, repetitive synthesiser sound became progressively louder. Finally, at nine o’clock, the venue was plunged into darkness, the synthesiser halted and multicoloured static filled the on-stage screens before the quirky riffs of ‘Love Me‘ began. It was the perfect opener, its buoyant tone perfect for generating energy from the audience. The band proceeded to rocket through a comprehensive set-list which catered for all, ranging from material from their early EPs to their current album. Hidden treasures from old EPs such as the 90’s R&B jam-inspired ‘So Far (It’s Alright)‘, slushy ‘fallingforyou‘ and the never-before-performed ‘Anobrain‘ served as a reminder of the band’s unfaltering ability to create enthralling music whilst tracks from the band’s début album such as ‘Heart Out‘, ‘Girls‘ and ‘Menswear‘ which were met with rapturous response from fans who chanted the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Their new material worked just as well; it was impossible not to dance to the INXS-influenced ‘She’s American‘ and the Prince-esque ‘UGH!‘ whilst the vulnerable ‘Somebody Else‘ and jittery ‘Change of Heart‘ captivated the audience.
“Brixton, I think I’m going mad”, Healy declared before the choral ‘ooh’s’ intro to ‘The Ballad of me and my Brain‘ began. The song appeared to baffle many of those unfamiliar with the new album but was brilliantly executed by the band and Healy who raised his performance game in this song, stumbling around the stage and falling to his knees in reference to the breakdown the song documents. Likewise, the cleverly worded, half-rapped ‘Loving Someone‘ and syrupy sweet ‘Paris‘ translated well into a live setting as Healy strutted across the stage and encouraged the crowd to sing.
Throughout the show, Healy – renowned for being a charismatic front-man – bounded around the stage, often with a glass of wine in his hand, buzzing with energy and enthusiasm and feeding off the crowd. He flexed, pouted, pranced and glided across the stage, interacting brilliantly with the crowd and often resulting in ear-piercing squeals reminiscent of Beatle-mania. He held the audience in the palm of his hand and was unafraid of being completely at ease on-stage, frequently wandering off to light a cigarette or to change into a shirt before declaring he’d made a mistake and changing back into his black t-shirt. During the poignant ‘Me‘, he instructed a fan to put their phone away after telling the audience to experience the song in the moment without technology present.
The show was also visually spectacular; the stage was permanently illuminated in various lighting combinations, providing a cinematic experience which was a perfect reflection of the band’s eclectic range of material. At times, this was utterly breathtaking and emphasised that sometimes simplicity achieves the best results.
The evening culminated in an intoxicating finale; an encore of four of the band’s best works. The first, ‘If I Believe You‘, an accomplished track which questions religion over D’Angelo slow-jam instrumentation was hauntingly beautiful. A choir of six accompanied the band and their gospel harmonies were spine-tingling. The choir remained on-stage for the ever-brilliant ‘Chocolate‘ and new classic ‘The Sound‘ which engendered an electric euphoria. During the latter, Healy instructed the crowd to jump, informing them their aim was ‘to break Brixton academy’. Grand finale ‘Sex‘, another of the band’s best-known songs closed the evening perfectly and remains one of the band’s best songs.
In all three times of seeing the band in the past two years, their performance at Brixton on Wednesday evening emphasised that they are the band of the moment. Healy’s vocals had never been better whilst fellow bandmates Adam Hann, Ross Macdonald and George Daniel were perfectly tight and synchronised musically. The only thing missing was two of the band’s best songs – ‘Settle Down‘ and ‘This Must Be My Dream‘ but one can hardly complain when the band delivered such a captivating show with an extensive range of material.
The 1975 were on top of their game at Brixton and long may it continue.
* Read our review of The 1975’s new album, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘
** Read our review of The Japanese House live at The Haunt, Brighton
Setlist:
1. Love Me
2. UGH!
3. Heart Out
4. So Far (It’s Alright)
5. A Change of Heart
6. She’s American
7. Anobrain
8. Menswear
9. The Ballad of Me and My Brain
10. Me
11. fallingforyou
12. Somebody Else
13. Robbers
14. You
15. Loving Someone
16. Paris
17. Girls
ENCORE
18. If I Believe You
19. Chocolate
20. The Sound
21. Sex
Catch The 1975 on tour now:
Almost three long years have passed since The 1975 sprung onto the music scene with their bold and well-received eponymous début album. Packaged with an aesthetic monochrome image, an abundance of 80’s influenced alt-rock, asymmetrical R&B and an ostentatious yet simultaneously endearing frontman – Matt Healy – The 1975 polarised critics and music lovers alike. Still, the band’s début album catapulted straight into number one in the UK album chart, their eclectic sound and unequivocal lyrics winning them a legion of fans all over the world.
The follow up to a platinum selling album was always going to arrive with weighted expectations but Healy’s recurrent boasting in interviews (‘The world needs this album’, he informed NME, prior to its release in self-praise Kanye West would be proud of) and a wealth of preceding publicity made ‘I like it when you sleep…’ one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. From its ambitiously wordy title and hefty seventy five minute duration to its frequent genre-hopping, it’s an audacious album but one which ultimately pays off.
For their follow-up, the monochrome façade is replaced with a vivid pink, a sign of the band’s reinvention and their musical evolution. Lyrically, ‘I like it when you sleep…’ possesses a darker tone than its predecessor. Whilst the drug and sex references are still frequent, the rock and roll is less so. Understandably, the band have matured significantly since their previous work was written and this shows through its exploration of darker themes such as mental health, depression, death and loneliness. The album’s tone is far from melancholic, however as it is comprised of various genres, making it a compelling listen.
The 80’s-influenced indie rock present on their début extends onto ‘I like it when you sleep…’, channelling the flamboyance of the likes of INXS and Duran Duran but with far greater polished production. From the buoyant Bowie-esque ‘Love Me‘ with its squeaky synthesisers and quirky guitar riffs to the gentle ‘Change of Heart‘ with its synthetic vocal fragments and synthesisers fluttering over soft 808 percussion, The 1975 once again capture the brashness of 80’s music but with a 21st century spin. There’s also the brilliantly effervescent ‘She’s American‘ which wittily documents cultural differences with lyrics such as ‘And if she likes it ’cause we just don’t eat and we’re socially relevant, she’s American’ over twinkling synthesisers and funky guitar riffs provided by guitarist Adam Hann. The band’s musicianship and synchronicity are accentuated through the new-jack swing of ‘This Must Be My Dream‘ with its gospel melodies, silky vocals, slamming percussion, driving bass lines and snarling guitar riffs. The moody ‘Somebody Else‘ is aching with vulnerability and finds Healy pining for an ex-lover over swirling synths, a brilliant twitchy bassline provided by bassist Ross Macdonald and gated percussion. It also has the best bridge on the album on which Healy growls “Got someone you love? Get someone you need? F**k that get money, I can’t give you my soul ’cause we’re never alone” over juddering production. This is about as far as the John Hughes soundtrack alternatives go on this album however.
The rest of the album is a testament to the band’s love of genre hopping, generating an album which isn’t musically cohesive but its content is of a quality that compensates for this, enabling fans to dip in and out as they please. They explore Prince-influenced R&B on the slick ‘UGH!‘, shoegazing through the angst of ‘Lostmyhead‘ and pop-disco on the fantastically catchy ‘The Sound‘. ‘The Ballad of Me and My Brain‘ flirts with grunge stadium rock featuring fantastically erratic drums from George Daniel and broken vocal fragments. Its playful lyrics tell of Healy’s quest to find his brain (likely in reference to a meltdown whilst on tour in 2014) searching in bars, on the train and in Sainsbury’s whilst sneakily making a reference to 2007 meltdown-Britney at the end.
Then there’s ‘Loving Someone‘ in which Healy does his best impersonation of Mike Skinner – half-rapping his social observations of how the media and celebrity culture shapes teenagers over hip-hop beats and clinking piano riffs. Lyrically, it’s one of Healy’s best, with lines such as ‘It’s better if we make them want the opposite sex’ and ‘I’m the Greek economy of cashing intellectual cheques’ emphasising his pensive nature and ability to give his music meaning – a rare occurrence in contemporary music.
The band throw a curve-ball on the biblical ‘If I Believe You‘ on which Healy searches for and beseeches a higher power to curb his loneliness. Perhaps the album’s best moment, it’s a sincere and dignified track which mirrors the likes of Prince and D’Angelo through layering eerie electronic elements, an understated horn solo and spine-tingling utilisation of a gospel choir over organic percussion. Its lyrical content is a paradox of its jazz-influenced gospel instrumentation but it works absolutely beautifully with a stunning climax where Healy’s effect-drenched vocals languish ‘If I’m lost, then how can I find myself?’
Elsewhere, the glossy, polished Pop records are punctuated by less commercial ambient music through glitchy instrumentals comprised of fragmented sounds, broken vocal samples and heavily processed electro elements in a similar fashion the band’s first EPs. ‘Please Be Naked‘ is a stunning piano-led instrumental evidently influenced by sigur rós and is a sign of what’s to follow on ‘Lostmyhead‘. The band excel at this most on the title track, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘, however. Pretty and melodic piano particles flutter over driving electronica whilst Healy’s lusciously layered vocals beg his lover not to leave. The track is lengthy at six minutes but is split into two parts, evolving into an uplifting and exquisitely beautiful house track. It’s likely to be the most overlooked track on the album but is a perfect reminder of Healy and Daniel’s impeccable ability to create and produce music.
The album begins to decelerate towards the end beginning with the mellow electropop of ‘Paris‘, a drug-fuelled interpretation of Yazoo’s ‘Only You‘ featuring sparse guitars and dizzy synthesisers. It’s another of the album’s highlights with a catchy, honeyed ‘again and again’ refrain. The final two tracks are stripped to the bare minimum and driven by an acoustic guitar, ‘Nana‘ being a heartbreaking ode to Healy’s late grandparent and ‘She Lays Down‘ documenting his mother’s (TV personality and actress Denise Welch) battle with post-natal depression. It may not be the most uplifting finale to the album but its de-acceleration brings it to a perfect, gentle close.
One of the album’s fortes and its main source of cohesion is its lyrical content. Healy possesses a genuine talent as a lyricist, addressing heavy topics and destructive individuals in a playful, frank and witty manner and accurately addresses contemporary culture in candid fashion. He’s also a master of self-deprecation, whether its through labelling himself as ‘a sycophantic, prophetic, Socratic junkie wannabe’ on ‘The Sound‘ or as ‘a pain in woman’s clothes’ on ‘Paris‘. Even more impressive is his use of intertextuality through referencing and recycling the band’s previous lyrics and melodies.
It’s easy for ‘genuine music lovers’ to brand the band as a generic, derivative boyband who only appeal to teenage girls but one listen to ‘I like it when you sleep…’ is enough to dispel these criticisms. The musicality, the polysemic threads and comprehensive nature of the album proves The 1975 are the band of the moment. As Healy lashed out against uninspired Pop music last Autumn, he ranted “No one’s asking you to inspire a revolution, but inspire something.” And that’s exactly what ‘I like it when you sleep…’ does from beginning to end.
An extraordinary album which pushes the boundaries through experimentation, sharp lyrics and unashamedly brilliant Pop music.
‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it’ is available now on Dirty Hit/Polydor records.
When The Japanese House emerged in early 2015 with the hauntingly ethereal ‘Still’, she was the cause of mystification. Whilst many fell in love with the track, her lack of online profile and distorted, effect-coated vocals led many to question whether a male or female was behind the project. It soon surfaced that The Japanese House is the project name of 20 year old Londoner Amber Bain. She shares a record label (Dirty Hit records) with the likes of The 1975 and Wolf Alice, a promising omen, considering their success. In fact, she was introduced to the label by the former’s Matt Healy and George Daniel who have also handled the production of some of her material. Her cinematic, multi-layered and often haunting sound makes her work a compelling listen and has won her a legion of fans. Just a proportion of those were crammed into The Haunt in Brighton on Saturday evening.
She walks onstage timidly after her bandmates – a drummer and guitarist/keyboard player begin the oriental cascades of ‘Clean’. Her multi-layered sound translates well live and is cleverly achieved through frolicking between various guitars, synthesisers and various effect pedals, including a harmoniser pedal to achieve Bain’s dreamy vocoder-reminiscent vocals. Between songs, she keeps talk to a minimum and is fantastically shy but impossibly endearing.
The Japanese House steadily ventures through her complete eight song discography from both of her EP’s – ‘Pools to Bathe In’ and ‘Clean’ before treating fans to a bonus track, a new song called ‘Leon’ at the end of the show. A brilliant performance of downtempo, sullen ‘Still’ reminds the audience of what a mesmeric listen the track is. It was her debut record and it’s still one of her best with its thunderous percussion and R&B-influenced fragments.
Her melancholic electronica is quite an intense listen and at times it’s perhaps a little too over-bearing, her set crying out for one or two up-tempo tracks. This request is eventually met by the brilliantly catchy and ‘80’s-influenced ‘Cool Blue’ which arguably prompts the best response from the crowd. It’s understandable since it’s perhaps the most up-tempo track The Japanese House has released to date. It echoes Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants to Rule The World’ in terms of rhythm and slamming percussion but replaces the piano arpeggios with those of a guitar. It’s one of her best songs and it provides the audience with an opportunity to dance.
Despite the small-scale nature of the show, it is still atmospheric. Dim lighting and hazy smoke create the perfect accompaniment to The Japanese House’s introspective sound. Pulsating lights swing into action during the electronic drop in ‘Pools to Bathe In’ but aside from this, the music does the talking.
As the evening comes to an end, it’s clear that The Japanese House is certainly in possession of something special. Whilst collectively, her work overall feels it could do with the addition of one or two more substantial, up-tempo tracks, Amber Bain is certainly one to watch.
Since their rise to prominence in 2013, The 1975 have established themselves as one of the UK’s biggest bands. Renowned for their eclectic music and diligent outlook, they have secured an ever-increasing fan-base, a number one album and sold out venues all over the world. I found myself crammed into a packed Brighton Centre on Thursday evening to catch a glimpse of the magic.
The evening commenced with support act Ratboy (real name Jordan Cardy). The name is certainly fitting – his image, lyrics and music (an amalgamation of rock and hip-hop) possess a gritty and shabby feel to them. Along with his band, he delivered an energetic but rather immoderate set.
Over the long half-an-hour wait between Ratboy and The 1975, the house lights dimmed gradually, a brilliant touch which only intensified the anticipation in the venue. Finally, at 9pm, scatty lasers swept the room, static occupied the screens and eerie sounds eventually evolved into a pink glow and the distinctive Bowie-esque guitar riffs of latest single ‘Love Me’. It was the perfect opener, generating a buzz of excitement which did not falter throughout the remainder of the show. The band continued to power energetically through hits such as ‘Heart Out’ and ‘Settle Down’ in addition to the material from their early EP’s such as the slushy ‘Falling for You’ and effortlessly catchy ‘So Far (It’s Alright).’
The audience were also teased with four new tracks from the band’s upcoming second album. Whilst this was a daring move, the new material was exceptionally well-received by the crowd. Similarly to the band’s début album, the new songs verified that the ‘80’s are still very much alive. ‘She’s American’ is an amalgamation of previous singles ‘Heart Out’ and ‘Settle Down’, ‘Change of Heart’ is the band’s take on Madonna’s ‘Crazy For You’ whilst the brilliant ‘Somebody Else’ utilises scatty synthesiser clips and funky bass lines. It was ‘The Sound’, however which prompted the most rapturous response from the audience, triggering exuberant jumping to the funky 80’s-esque indie-pop track.
The new songs weren’t the only modification since the band’s previous tour. The band has undergone a significant transformation, seemingly embracing pop music as their primary focus. Their famed monochrome façade has been subsequently replaced by a vivid pink glow. Indeed, the stage was permanently ignited in a sea of effervescent technicolour, primarily supplied by screens and laser lights. For such an intimate venue, the display was spectacular and accompanied their cinematic array of songs perfectly.
The band as a whole also exhibited more confidence and proficiency whilst frontman Matt Healy’s vocals were cleaner and more self-assured than ever before. Healy jauntily covered all areas of the stage, interacting with all parts of the arena. His carefree charisma made him an endearing frontman to watch, particularly when he took a sip from his glass of wine or lit a roll-up during the fidgety instrumental-dominated ‘Menswear’. Every movement was effortlessly cool, well-timed and sent the crowd into meltdown. It’s too easy to neglect the contribution of the rest of the band, however – particularly bass player Ross MacDonald and guitarist Adam Hann. George Daniel’s drumming plays a significant role in the band’s tight, funky sound whilst MacDonald and Hann swapped guitars for synthesisers and vice versa an exhausting amount during the show.
Throughout the show, it was clear that Healy and the crowd fed off each other and it worked beautifully. “We’ve invested in screens so you don’t have to. We don’t want you to spend the show watching us through screens as that would just be ironic, wouldn’t it? Just for this song, I want you to put your phones away” he stated before an emotional performance of ‘Me’. Needless to say, not one phone was visible during the track. It was a moment which reinforced the loss of interaction; much of the crowd unknowingly watched the show through the screens of their phones, valuing capturing the moment on Instagram and Snapchat over memory. It also reinforced Healy’s impeccable ability to engross an audience.
The atmosphere was as animated as my previous experience of seeing The 1975, perhaps slightly intensified. At least ten females were removed from the crowd by security, either the consequence of fainting or drinking too much. One quick glance around at the audience during the emotional ‘Robbers‘ revealed tears sliding down many’s cheeks. It was clear that the band’s music plays a huge role in the lives of many.
The evening culminated with a perfect crowd-rousing trio of songs for the show’s encore. The audience were captivated during the tender ‘Medicine’ before launching into a wild frenzy during the arguably best-known hits ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Sex’.
It was a privilege to be present at one of the most spectacular shows ever held in an intimate venue and I for one believe this is still only the beginning for The 1975.
Rating: 5/5.
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