Matt Healy’s The 1975 released a new album last week, and it’s been on repeat for me ever since. Overall, the album is a solid offering from the British rock/pop band, and 22 songs is welcome from their 4th full-length album.
In my opinion this album is their best since their self-titled debut, and has some pretty interesting exploration from song to song. NOACF certainly bends genres, and is quite a diverse album. That said, there are a few songs that could have been left on the metaphorical editing floor. I’d give Notes on a Conditional Form a 7.5/10. The back half of the album alone is worth repeat listening, and I’ll be listening to the album as a whole off and on for a while. Below’s a song-by-song breakdown:
The 1975: Every 1975 album starts with The 1975. That hasn’t changed. What has changed are the lyrics, for the first time. The tickling of the keys provides a backdrop for Greta Thunberg’s monologue, and amounts to the most memorable album opener for me since Kendrick’s BLOOD. Somber. Beautiful. Hopeful. It’s not what I expected from The 1975, but I’m glad I got it. 10/10
People: After Greta’s charge to “rebel”, we’re led into a classic British glam-punk featuring Healy in full on angst mode. The vocals and the distortion on the guitars reminds me a ton of Colorado’s The Photo Atlas, and unfortunately TPA does this style a lot better than The 1975. 6/10
The End (Music for Cars): To lead from People into this symphonic version of Hnscc hints at the diversity of what we can expect from the rest of the album. An instrumental offering, the brass lead off the short track which gets resolved with woodwinds and strings. Serves as a nice introduction into the first pop song on the album. 7/10
Frail State of Mind: Smart. That’s a word that can be used to describe a number of singles on the album, including this one. As commentary on social anxiety, it’s pretty brilliant. As a pop single with a bit of garage tracking? It’s quite catchy. 8/10
Streaming: Again, another Sigur Rós-esque transition piece between songs. This model dwindles about about a quarter through the album, but it’s an interesting approach for Healy & Co to demonstrate some creativity with instrumental tracks. 7/10
The Birthday Party: Classic acoustic-style 1975. Airy vocals over drums and strums drives the track, with filtered background vocals providing a bit of flair. Culminating in a bigger conclusion, it’s not a bad track. But not a great one either. 6/10
Yeah I Know: Euro. Glitch pop. Obvious Thom Yorke vibes. Love the backward vocals. Time feels like it’s changed, I don’t feel the same. Docking a couple points for monotony towards the end, but this track may even get an add to the Binary playlist I keep for flow state work. 7/10
Then Because She Goes: Savage Garden was great in the 90s. This song is one that could’ve easily been cut in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong: I love anxious shoegaze every once in a while. But outside of the “love you, love you, love you” earworm in the background, this song is instantly forgettable. 2/10
Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America: Smart. More commentary from The 1975, and this one featuring Phoebe Bridgers in a haunting manner. Midwest Americana at its best with a simple strum pattern paired with horns, you can almost hear Justin Vernon. The intelligence on the track isn’t just the music itself, but the lyrical value as well. The speakers in the song are obviously wrestling with a dichotomic lifestyle. In true American fashion. 9/10
Roadkill: A bit of honky-tonk comedy here matches the song’s styles to the narrative. Namely Healy peeing on himself in Texas. This song is a good one, much better than Then Because She Goes, but I think it’s still one that could’ve been left off the album. 6/10
Me & You Together Song: OG 1975. This has the same instrumentation as their freshman offering, but Healy’s vocals are a bit too dreamy after hearing his more mature voice on later records. Again has a very retro feel, like it were from another 90s shoegaze band: Third-Eye Blind. 7/10
I Think There’s Something You Should Know: This track at the halfway point on the album also marks the beginning of what feels like the right evolution of The 1975. There are some electronic elements here, even a diversion into the weird, but the core of the song feels right for the band, and it’s a fun one. The denouement of the song is fantastic, and resolves marvelously. 8/10
Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied: This song. R&B driven elements, we get a bit of soul from George Daniel on the keys, and Healy gets pretty close to rapping in spots. Love the breakbeat that permeates the song, and the chorus is among The 1975’s best ever. Feels like it should be the climax of Sister Act 4, in the best of ways. 10/10
Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy): Love the sample. The Temptations are one of my favorite musical acts of all time, and the opener of the song is fairly unique in a Kanye/Pharrell sort of manner. But then the song is downhill from there. The chorus in particular leaves a lot to be desired, and Healy’s vocals are mediocre on this track. Should’ve been cut. 4/10
Shiny Collarbone: Another drum & bass kind of backbeat with reggaeish vibes from Cutty Ranks underlying the whole track. The sonic layer from the synth is stellar and really showcases George’s production talents. This is also a great piece demonstrating The 1975’s experimentation on this record, and I’m glad it’s here, particularly as it leads into a more classic The 1975 piece in the next track. 8/10
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know): Stellar. As The 1975 as it gets. 80s pop and Miami/LA undertones with Healy’s voice shining in the pre-choruses, it’s such a fun track. The chorus itself is such an earworm, and this track would easily be a contender for song of the summer in any other year. 10/10
Playing On My Mind: Phoebe Bridgers makes another appearance here, and the song is much more introspective than the run we just left on the album. It’s breathy and airy and folksy and…well, fine. It’s just fine. 7/10
Having No Head: Another instrumental from Mr. Daniel. Not as enjoyable as previous compositions, but still solid. The first half of the track feels like it belongs tracking a pivotal, beautiful moment in a movie about an astronaut returning to space, and then the track somehow becomes that backing soundtrack to that really weird rave scene in the Matrix sequel. 7/10
What Should I Say: More experimentation, and one of the highest quality examples of it on the album. The Eno-esque house beat combined with the backing vocals from FKA Twigs is exquisite. You can barely tell that it’s Healy on the track singing about AHMbien. This song is a vibe, and the outro is a sick one that leaves you wanting more.9/10
Bagsy Not In Net: I love the strings on this track…and that’s about it. Everything else is acceptable. Strings adds two points. Solid, but should’ve been cut. 7/10
Don’t Worry: Pretty cool that this is Matty and his dad. Even cooler that Healy knows it’s the first song he ever head. The emotional lift and the Francis and the Lights feel to the song gives it a couple points here, much like the strings in the last one. But sonically? It’s a 4. No offense to Tim Healy. 7/10
Guys: The counterpart to Girls. I like the meaning of the song (appreciation for same-gender friends), but it’s way too dreary musically speaking. It’s a lullaby-ballad. I get it that The 1975 is essentially giving each other a shout-out…but it’s such a weird way to end an album. 4/10