Since being founded in 2002 and the release of their first album 11 years later, The 1975 have firmly established themselves in the indie-pop genre. Their previous album Notes on a Conditional Form squeezed an array of genres, from garage and house to reggae and classical symphony into their 22 track listing.
Their newest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, has the feel and presence of their older work. It is certainly a return to the genre they do well which is synth-heavy, pop and indie sounds.
The track Happiness, in particular, feels like a throwback to the bands 2016 hit album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It. Reminiscent of the track The Sound, it’s a true pop hit. Similarly, the electro-popiness of other tracks, including Looking For Somebody To Love and Oh Caroline create a certain 80’s feel with the synth-licked tracks awashed with a jazz vibe that is full of nostalgia.
The orchestral flourishes come in later in the album, on tracks like Part Of The Band, All I Need to Hear, Human Too and When We Are Together. The final track, When We Are Together, is particularly beautiful. A contrast of modern and witty lyrics (‘It was poorly handled, the day we both got cancelled’) set against a soft melody and a symphony backing creates a hauntingly beautiful track.
Healey is still at his best with his lyricism. From self-deprecation and self-reflection (he apologises for detonating a fake suicide vest in music video for 2019 single People) to jokes about ejaculation and his TV-star mother, Healey seems to have a knack for knowing what his fans, and non-fans alike, want to hear.
Credited as producer is Jack Antonoff, alongside Korean-American singer-songwriter Japanese Breakfast, Bon Iver producer BJ Burton and folksy Dirty Hit label-mate Benjamin Francis Leftwich.
The band enlisted some of the industry’s top writers and producers to create an album that is both filled with nostalgia and a breath of fresh air.
Being Funny in a Foreign Language is a return to form for The 1975 and a very welcome home for the band.