Blogger: The Sound Of The 1975

Do you have a song, that reminds you of someone and every time you hear it you just cannot shake that time machine that takes you back? ... did you ever have a song that survived that person? Strangely enough, The 1975 had a song on their first album, She Way Out, that I remember connecting to three different people. And even today, the song lives on for me, and I no longer think of everyone when I listen to it, that is how powerful their music is to me. Each line of the lyrics created the details of someone's face in my head, and they faded, as I grew and my heart evolved and the song came with me. If somebody asked, that is my favorite song of all time. I don't know how it can be so powerful to override the emotions in my head, but it is not the only song of this kind from this band...

I cannot help but listen to each of their songs on repeat for days.

The 1975 are an English pop rock band from Manchester, consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer George Daniel. Their choice of name was inspired by a Jack Kerouac beat poetry book. In it, someone dated their notes as the "1st June. The 1975." He said of finding the phrase: "The use of the word 'The' really stuck with me. It was the perfect band name." Since then they had three albums, cooperations with other bands and covers on BBC Radio 1 (which in my humble opinion are far better than the originals...), and with video clips breaking records on Youtube all around.

I first heard them on Conan, in July of 2013, and their album was set to be released in September. They performed Chocolate, which is simply a divine song. I knew they were a modern band, a bit hipster too, but I love bands that are doing songs that sound more like the 80s. That is my favorite era in music, and I like to feel good when I listen to music, and damn, they make me feel good.

Which is funny, because their lyrics are really heavy.

What is amazing to me, is that their lyrics are not really straightforward. I find that is why that one song stuck with me for so long. It was more like poetry, and depending on what we feel, go throw, experience, our reading of a poem can change significantly. They have songs on sex, cheating, loving, break ups, on current political questions and more importantly: on loving yourself. Which I love, because their fan base is not stupid, we have eyes, we have feelings, and sometimes music helps us through the hard things. I am fed up with songs about nothing... I keep showing people their songs because it amazes me how well they catch those real feelings in our hearts that are the hardest to talk about.

"I don't want your body/ But I hate to think about you with somebody else."

"And I'm not trying to stop you, love/ If we're gonna do anything we might as well just fuck."

"The war has been incited/ And guess what, you're all invited."

"Just keep holding their necks and keep selling them sex

It’s better if we keep them perplexed

It's better if we make them want the opposite sex."

"I swear that/ I only called her one time/ Maybe it was two times?"

"It's just you and I, tonight/ Why don't you figure my heart out?"

"I know you're looking for salvation in the secular age/ But girl I'm not your savior."

"You learn a couple things when you get to my age/ Like friends don't lie and it all tastes the same in the dark."

"And we left things to protect my mental health/ But you'll call me when you're bored and you're playing with yourself."

This selection of lyrics was very hard, I actually wanted to quote to you every single song they have, but that might have been too much for a novice... and hey, if you are a fan, I hope you sang the songs whilst reading these lyrics! Overall, you might be jealous at the guy, because girls are in love with him, and you might be into metal or classical music, and that is fine. I don't expect everyone to be in love with this band, but when you can sense a spiritual evolution from the first album to the last, and a change in the video clips, then really, you cannot deny talent. Somebody who has no problem quoting verbatim the current president of the U.S. to showcase through a song what a ridiculous state our world is in right now, is OK in my book.

I am now set on making sure I can see them live, just once in my life.

They came to Hungary once, haven't come back since, but they will this upcoming summer to the Sziget festival and I cannot wait! The ticket cost a lot, but I do not care, I feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It is the burden of loving bands that are not from my home country... But hopefully this won't be the only time! I am however super giddy excited about finally being there in front of the stage and hearing my favorite songs live. I know, that I am not the only person they are writing songs to, but it feels that way. And the same way as my favorite Placebo band helped me through some major things in my life (read that entry of mine here!), The 1975 helped me through even bigger ones, with being my companion through university, and now the hell hole that is becoming my planet...

Of all the things in my life, I find that I am lucky to be living on this planet at the same time as these songs are getting released. There is a lot out there that I missed out on, and sometimes not even by choice... this band makes me want to be active and alert and doing what I can to make my life the best possible. Hope you will check out some of their materials, I for one, will re-listen to all three albums right now (and probably every time someone reads this entry.)