Indie rock group The 1975 have been at the scene's forefront for the past few years with music that appeals to the rock psyche. Their debut self-titled album released in 2013 was a hit, spawning various singles including "Sex," "Chocolate," "Girls," and many more. An electropop, emo type of record, The 1975's style is purely unique with meshing various types of genres like R&B, rock, and indie pop, but also in the way that they write their lyrics. Lead singer Matthew "Matty" Healy takes the reigns quite often in the songwriting process and this is no exception with their sophomore slamdunk album, "I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It." Released on February 26, 2016, this album was their first to hit number one on the Billboard 200 during its debut week. Changing their style a bit on this record, The 1975 lends us their voices as they strum and glide through this extremely 80s-esque album. Here, I will go through each and every track on the album giving an analysis on the lyrical content, music, and overall interpretation.
1. "The 1975"
The opener, barely a minute and a half long introduction, gives us a taste of what a music listener will hear throughout from this first song. Like flowing into a vortex, pause, then a choir singing, this song starts off like a person is entering the gates of heaven.
2. "Love Me"
The first single off the album, this is a blast from the past, considered the most 80's sounding song on the album. This song invokes the frustration with the 21st century and how everyone is obsessed with technology. Sounding like an ode to "Fame" by David Bowie, this song will have anyone gyrating around and feeling like they are in an 80s club. The music video isn't half bad either.
3. "UGH!"
This slow jammer sees our leading hero Matty Healy fighting and failing once again with one of his loves: cocaine. A major theme throughout the album, Healy is pleading over guitar riffs that are a nice slow jam. He understands in this song that he's "not giving it up again."
4. "A Change of Heart"
A potential single they could release, "A Change of Heart" states the change he has had towards his attitude for a girl. He says "you used to have a face straight out of magazines, now you just look like anyone," as the tune dazzles in the background. A simplistic synth whistle type sound has it's own solo on this fourth track.
5. "She's American"
A very 1975 song, this one shows their Manchester roots in the pros and cons of dating an American girl. "If she says I've got to fix my teeth, then she's so American," he sings as their usual guitar strums beautifully on this track, that one might hear at a local Starbucks or also at a social dinner party.
6. "If I Believe You"
Another huge theme of this album is religion and this song proves it. A known atheist, Healy questions God and the great beyond in this track that oozes in R&B and soul. The chorus features a gospel choir, which makes the religion point even more potent. The chorus sounds like literal gold as he ends it with "Jesus show yourself." It builds and then backs off so perfectly. Beautiful track.
7. "Please Be Naked"
One of the most famous aspects of The 1975 is their interludes and how they let the music do the talking. They did this quite a bit on their debut album, and this is the second full track where they do it. This song could be scored in the climatic scene of a Molly Ringwald-Andrew McCarthy movie from the 80s. An atmospheric song, it doesn't say much but it does make one feel like they are in a dark parking lot at 2 a.m. thinking about life.
8. "Lostmyhead"
Another interlude type song, this one is like when someone is driving 90 mph down into a 5 a.m. in the morning sunrise with sunglasses still on. Healy sings minimally in this song but it breaks up the album in a great way. This song is Healy losing his head and fades, never knowing if he found it.
9. "The Ballad of Me and My Brain"
A glitzy beginning to this song, until Healy yells, "well I think I've gone mad, isn't that sad?" Healy questions himself in this song, telling a story of a fan coming for an autograph to not being able to find his brain as if it has fallen out of his head. Healy uses his cerebral side mostly on this indie pop track.
10. "Somebody Else"
Healy's regrets come up in this song where the girl he was with has finally moved on. He's not jealous because he doesn't want her body but he is picturing her with someone else. He tries to stay confident but who knows whether he wants her still or not. This song could also easily be a main song in an 80s movie while he slowly grooves. This could easily be a potential single for the band in their future with this album.
11. "Loving Someone"
Celebrity is a big theme in this song where Healy believes that fame should be used to exploit love instead of all of the other things in the world. He uses quite the wide vocabulary in this song especially with lyrics like "charlatan telepathy exploiting insecurity and praying on the purity of grief"; he uses his widest imagination of words on this track with a woman-like singer singing "loving someone" throughout.
12. "I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It"
The title track of the album, this is another interlude where they float their way through this six and a half minute minimalistic song. This is a song to really sit and relax to that one would find under the "Deep Focus" section on Spotify. It glides through effortlessly and takes us on a journey with sound and space.
13. "The Sound"
One of the singles that came out from the album so far, "The Sound" is another 80s indie pop song that once again is paired with a gospel choir. This song may sound very cheery, but it shows Healy's true emotions towards a girl in his life. The music video is also quite interesting as the band is placed in a box with various people surrounding it bashing them. Text also comes out stating insults about the band. Healy calls himself out as well in the song, stating: "it's all about me, a sycophantic, prophetic, socratic, junkie wannabe."
14. "This Must Be My Dream"
Tied with "Love Me" as the most 80s sounding song on the album, Healy is stating that he's living in a dream. His vocals on this song are mere perfection especially when he sings, "we can't make love when you're flying around me baby." The song at first can be perceived as a love song, but it is, however, about how the love he thought he had was a dream. This song is one to jam to alone in your room while thinking about your one true love lost.
15. "Paris"
Drugs are again the theme in this song, with Healy wishing he was back in the city of lights. The major element that is stated in the song is when he sings "she said I'd be romanticizing heroin" as he states how much he loves Paris, but in reality it is a shit-show when he is their because of the drugs. This song is one that can be taken in many ways, but all we know is that Healy was in Paris again.
16. "Nana"
The near end of the album is when The 1975 get to the root and true core emotion. It starts with "Nana" a track anyone can relate to when losing a loved one. He states how much he misses her, how much he could tell her how he is doing and how with her not being there, he isn't doing well. "And if I live past 72 I hope I'm half as cool as you," is just one in many lines that tugs at the heart strings on this simple guitar-ridden track.
17. "She Lays Down"
The last song on standard editions of "I Like It When You Sleep...", "She Lays Down" is a stripped down, acoustic sounding song that talks of the turmoils of drugs. He sings about a girl who cannot find the goodness in drugs anymore and the pain that is found in taking it and not taking it. This song shows Healy at his most vulnerable, debateably throughout every The 1975 song I have ever heard. It is the perfect end to the perfect album.
If you are a track junkie like me, and you buy the Target version of this album, you obtain two bonus tracks, a demo of their song "A Change of Heart" and "How to Draw". The demo to "A Change of Heart" is very similar to the original, which proves the vision that The 1975 never changes and are clear cut in their writing and style. "How to Draw" is another interlude type of song, showing off mostly the piano in this beautifully made song.
The 1975's new album is an enjoyable listen to anyone and is one that I will be listening to for a long time to come.
