The 1975 attempt a comeback with ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’
Almost ten years since the release of their decade-defining entrance into the music scene with their self-titled album, The 1975’s Being Funny In a Foreign Language proves the group’s continued relevance in today’s music scene.
Photo: Press
Fitting perfectly hand in hand with the group’s earlier records, such as The 1975 and I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, the group prove that, like their audience, their sound has matured. Still holding the grips of the ‘Tumblr generation’, the new album shows us they are still the same band who brought us the soundtrack to teenage life in the 2010s, but they are not afraid to expand and experiment on their iconic sound.
Like each album, it begins with a track named after the band themselves, perfectly summing up what is yet to come; an album defined by its unpredictability, hectic one minute, serene the next. The flurrying yet satisfying production builds as the track progresses, showing the groups range from creating a song with little to complicated production within seconds. Like all their opening tracks, The 1975 sets us up perfectly for what is to follow, leaving us with the repeated line “I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re seventeen” — lyrics likely to be received well by teenage listeners.
Rolling perfectly from the opening comes the second single of the album, a track that’s sound can be described in its title… Happiness. Introduced with an upbeat blend of guitars and brass, Happiness proves itself to be a groovy dance track, intertwined with familiar hints of their first album, ultimately proving the group’s strength when it comes to upbeat synth tracks. The optimistic, almost cliche-like lyrics give the track the charm The 1975 is so good at attracting, making Happiness a memorable addition to the record.
The upbeat sound carries through to the album’s third track, Looking For Somebody (To Love), presenting us with another heavily-synth track, so similar yet a stark contrast of happiness. Looking For Somebody masks as a feel-good song, displaying us with yet another satisfactory pop hit, showing traces of the iconic 80s sound, something the band always utilise successfully. However, the lyrics juxtapose the song’s upbeat nature, telling a darker story, and proving the band’s tendency to go their own way.
The record takes a softer turn with lead single Part Of The Band, an almost folky track improved by its interesting lyrism, highlighted especially in Matty Healy's self-reflective line: “Am I ironically woke? The butt of my joke? Or am I just some post-coke, average, skinny bloke calling his ego imagination?”. An interesting perspective on his past controversies.
Part Of The Band marks a point in the album that immediately tells us it is Jack Antonoff produced. From the strings used in the production to the way Healy sings single lines, we immediately recognise the iconic sound Antonoff uses in his own projects such as Bleachers. Throughout the album, Antonoff blends the band's iconic sound with his own specialities — specialities that won him Producer Of The Year at the 2022 Grammy awards — to create a distinct, well-balanced record. We witness Antonoff’s sound shoot through on other tracks such as Wintering, a laid-back build-up song, that could have come straight off Antonoff’s 2021 record Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night. Overall, it’s safe to say Antonoff is a positive addition to the group’s work, expanding and challenging their sound to make a well-rounded record.
The group continue to present their strengths through lively tracks such as third single I’m In Love With You and the record’s fifth track Oh Caroline. Both tracks are fun, depicting love in an entertaining tune that’s easily translated to commercial radio. The songs again depict the band’s strengths and prove their ever-progressing range.
Despite being a band often renowned for their upbeat sound, this particular album proves they can be equally strong when it comes to their softer sides. Pieces such as All I Need To Hear and Human Too give off the perfect side of melancholy nostalgia, an album with good scope needs. The softer tracks not only shine due to their dreamy production, but prove Healy to be an underrated lyricist of our time, showing his vulnerable side and shining through on lines such as “I’m sorry that I quite liked seein’ myself on the news, And I’m sorry that I’m someone that I wish I could change, But I’ve always been the same”.
One of the strongest points of the album comes from the dreamy, pop track About You; unexpected but incredibly enjoyable addition to the already excelling record. Featuring guitarist Adam Hann’s talented wife Carly Holt, About You is an extremely high point, a track with traces of sounds heard in earlier tracks such as Robbers, acting as a love song of sorts, with the lyrics fitting perfectly with those of the previous tracks.
The album concludes with a gloomy look at past relationships in When We Are Together, once again tapping into strong wistful lyrics highlighted in the line “The only time I feel I might get better is when we are together”. Ultimately, When We Are Together is an apt completion to the record, summing it up with beautiful predominantly acoustic production.
Being Funny In A Foreign Language is an honest and memorable representation of the band’s continued and significant purpose in today’s music industry. For The 1975 to be appreciated, they need to be viewed as a pop group, whose strengths lie in their timeless upbeat tracks, which will translate well to the stage on their upcoming tour. Overall, Being Funny In A Foreign Language is a distinct and unexpectedly enjoyable merge of the group’s old and new sounds, likely to impress both fans and perhaps even self-pronounced The 1975 haters.