UPDATE: THE 1975 STREAM FULL ALBUM ON SOUNDCLOUD
The self-titled debut album by The 1975, out on the 2nd of September appears to be a big one, at 16 tracks in length. On closer inspection however, two are purely instrumental and three are under two minutes long. The album starts slowly with a short, self-titled song that stands really as a warm up to the excellent previously released single, ‘The City’. Next is a new song ‘M.O.N.E.Y’, followed by the brilliant single ‘Chocolate’. ‘Sex’, the first single to have been released, stands at track number four, and is, as we already know, a stonker of a tune. However having all three previously released singles appear in the first third of the album, caused speculation as to whether the next 11 songs would be up to scratch, especially with the only full length new song, ‘M.O.N.E.Y’, being decidedly average and in fact a little annoying when the lyrics “m o n e y” are sung in a voice similar to that of a whiney infant.
‘Talk!’ starts to show hope, although still remains reasonably average compared to the bangers that are tracks four and five. By this stage you’re desperate to hear something new that’s as brilliant, but you’re left waiting a little while longer when short instrumental, ‘An Encounter’ kicks in. Luckily it’s just one minute fourteen, and followed by track number eight, ‘Heart Out’. Starting with a very promising beat reminiscent of 80s dance music and continuing in brilliant fashion, this track returns all faith and is definitely worth the wait.
The album continues in great style with ‘Settle Down’, ‘Robbers’ and ‘Girls’, three fantastic tracks that are impossible not to move to, before you’re given a welcome break from all the obviously excellent dancing you’ve been doing with short instrumental ’12’.
‘She Way Out’, is very strong and definitely one that we’ll be listening to a lot. ‘Menswear’ follows next with a long introduction building up to a brilliant song. ‘Pressure’ is also a solidly good song and the last upbeat one before the final track, ‘Is There Somebody Who Can Watch’. This one slows things right down, bringing the album to a calm and controlled end.
Despite being apprehensive at first, this is a brilliant and solid debut album by The 1975. The inclusion of instrumentals throughout splits the album up nicely and allows for very easy listening. On reflection the second half of the album really does give the first half a serious run for its money which says a lot considering the first half contains the three tunes that got the band where they are in the first place.
See The 1975 at Reading and Leeds Festival on the 24th and 25th of August respectively, Jersey Live on the 5th of September, Bestival from the 6th to the 8th, and Shrewsbury Fields Forever on September the 14th. Or catch them on their world tour starting September the 1st.
By Liz DC
Dance Yrself Clean
