Written off by many as an English pop rock boy band following the release of their second studio album, Matty Healy along with his bandmates in The 1975 double down on their sound on what has been one of the most talked about albums of 2018. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is a weirdly eclectic album that reaches for the mantle of art rock instead of digging deeper into the popternative sound that has been the benchmark of success for their peers. The album was one of the most anticipated releases of the year, and has been the dark horse of year end lists making the top ranks of lists by critical blogs like Pitchfork and NME.

If there ever was a time to revisit the sounds of INXS, Duran Duran, and Peter Gabriel, it's probably the times we're living through. The 1975 so closely mimic some of the music from the past that it's hard to not think of them as a nostalgia act when considering Matty Healy's 80s rock swagger or their perfect imitations of INXS on songs like, "Love Me." Healy and the band continue to build on that foundation but on the new album they take you to a much darker place.

The lead track on the album sets the tone that this release isn't going to be the pop rock dance party that you expected. The self-titled opener is a bizarre minute and a half intro to the lead single from the album, "Give Yourself A Try." The dynamic range of the album as a listener is hard to digest on the first listen, but on the second try gives you a sense of how The 1975 is making rock music that could in hindsight be considered groundbreaking, especially when you consider Healy's impact as a co-writer and A&R person on projects connected to Dirty Hit Records.

The highlights of the album are those darker moments like the "Love it if We Made It" and "Be My Mistake." Those are the songs that draw you into the album and make sense of the brighter pop rock moments that you still get from a band who might eventually transcend their beginnings.

The 1975's new album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is out now on Interscope/Dirty Hit records.

Resources

The 1975 - Official Site