By Nisali Fernando – Staff Reporter

Most people run the other way when they hear “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it,” but in this instance it is the bizarre yet fitting title for The 1975’s new album.

The band released their sophomore album on February 26. The album is a transcendent walk through the human spectrum of emotion, draped in pastel pink. Listeners follow frontman, Matty Healy, 26, through his life after the whirlwind fame of becoming a popstar. Aside from their eccentric frontman, the band also includes, George Daniel (drums), Adam Hann (guitar), and Ross MacDonald (bass). The four men, with the release of “I like it when you sleep..” have pioneered a breakthrough retro/cosmic sound to the world of alternative music. The band from Manchester has taken the world by storm since their debut in 2013. Hit singles such as “Settle Down”, “Girls”, “Chocolate”, and “Robbers” overtook the charts, and prove that The 1975 are a force to be reckoned with.

Through social media, Healy released a comic strip on June 1st, cryptically describing the details of a “new” band. The comic included, “ We can’t simply go on forever – always staying the same, never evolving.” Enter, “I like it when you sleep…” a revamped version of The 1975. The band formerly known for its black and white aesthetic morphed into one of neon lights and pastel colors. This new and improved band managed to skate to the top of the tracks, earning No. 1 album in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. “I like it when you sleep” also earned number one on the Billboard Top 200, according to Billboard, “The set earned 108,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 3, according to Nielsen Music. It sold 98,000 in pure album sales.”

The album may be a mouthful, but the 17 tracks (included in the Deluxe version) speak for themselves. Each track compliments each other, starting where the other left off or smoothly transitioning between songs. “Please Be Naked” and “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” fulfill the techno/ethereal aspect of the band and manage to set the bar higher for what is expected for musical interludes.  

Healy’s lyrical genius is obvious in the first single off the album. “Love Me” is an eloquent attack of our media-obsessed, narcissistic world. In the song it’s obvious he is still coming to terms with his own stardom and visibility in the media according to, “next thing you’ll find, you’re reading about yourself on a plane, fame, what a shame!” As the song progresses, Healy’s attempts to portray the superficiality that exists between celebrities, “You look famous, let’s be friends and portray we possess something important, and do the things we’d like.” Dueling guitar riffs pour out of the speakers, and a smooth head bopping backbeat set the song apart from anything The 1975 have ever done. The song sort of sounds like it was mixed in a garage, back in the 80s whilst a disco ball shone on the band and people said things like “groovy.” The music video peaked at almost 7 million views since its release, and features Healy clad in nothing but leather pants, blue eyeshadow, and pink lipstick dancing wildly behind flashing colored lights.

“UGH!” is ironically one of the more fast-paced tracks of the album. Mostly due to the fact that the bubbly, retro music disguises Healy’s obvious reference to drug usage. He claims, “the kick won’t last for long, but the song only lasts three minutes, and I know it’s wrong, but give me one.” Healy’s clever lyrics distract from the obvious misuse of the “simple diuretic that prevents the empathetic.” Healy pushes boundaries by writing beautiful, bouncy melodies for topics that are usually ignored or considered taboo.

“Change of Heart” sounds as if someone pressed play on an electric keyboard and manipulated one of the beats and created a charismatic yet heartbreaking ballad. The synth heavy track details what it’s like to fall out of love with someone, to have a change of heart.

“She’s American” is a fast-paced guitar-fueled track that comments on American stereotypes and the naivety of American girls who have fallen in love with The 1975. “If she says I’ve got to fix my teeth then she’s so American (she’s American) if she likes it cause we just don’t eat and we’re socially relevant, she’s American” whilst the song does come off as snarky, Healy succeeds again in proving there’s more than meets the eye (to American girls). Healy heeds warning to whirlwind romances, he croons, “don’t fall in love with the moment,and think you’re in love with the girl.”

“Somebody Else” is one of the more somber songs of the album, almost as if listeners are along for the ride in Healy’s subconscious as he recovers from losing a love. “I don’t want your body, but I hate to think about you with somebody else our love has gone cold you’re intertwining your soul with somebody else” is backed by a pulsing synth beat and harmonious organ chords. The track is a progressive love ballad, because listeners can cry whilst dancing to the infectious beat.

“She Lays Down” closes the album and is a complete 360. Healy stands alone, accompanied by an acoustic guitar crooning lyrics of his mother’s post-natal depression. The song is similar to a folk track and leaves listeners feeling warm and safe as they come to a close of their musical journey.

The “New 1975” introduces a completely different sound for listeners. The entirety of this album is sort of alien to anything Healy has ever put out there, almost as if he’s trying too hard to stand out in the ever changing music industry. Hit singles from the album like “Love Me” and “The Sound” are undeniably pop, though Healy has jokingly claimed in the past that The 1975 is not a pop band, these singles prove otherwise.  Listeners who have signed up for the black and white, angsty The 1975, are left unfulfilled by the retro track.

Maybe the old The 1975 is dead, but they have evolved into a band that is capable of creating breathtaking music. The 1975 succeed in telling a story about self-worth and heartbreak. Listeners evolve alongside the band, and feel as though maybe not everyone is not against them. Through the release of this album, Healy proves that his band is capable of more than just angsty tracks. Healy pushes the boundaries of “alternative” music and uses his charming lyrics and sharp accent to leave listeners in awe.

Healy and his band are the revolutionary minds of the music industry, and though their new album is weird, it’s the wonderful type of weird that is expected from The 1975.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars