Typing this album title out takes nearly as much time as writing a review, I swear. Whatever happened to the good old IV days, I do not know but I long for the simplicity of it. Otherwise, hello sweet new era of The 1975…it’s you!
I remember the time being the not so smart teenager with thoughts like, “Eww 80’s pop” and constantly teasing my mum for her love towards Depeche Mode. Slight wind of change and countless hours of music listening later, here I am enjoying heavily 80’s influenced albums like Don Broco’s Automatic from last year, and I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It now. It feels like music is currently going through a sort of rejuvenation like fashion does but more often.
The album starts with an intro simply named “The 1975” then it goes straight into the now familiar “Love Me” and “UGH!” – the songs that make me dance every time I hear them. “A Change of Heart” brings surprise with multiple lyric throwbacks to the debut album – “You used to have a face straight out of a magazine”/”I never found love in the city.”
The tracks of “If I Believe You” + “Please Be Naked” + “Lostmyhead” stand together like a Holy Trinity: one, with its epic saxophone solo, brings the vibes of sitting in a smoky bar sipping on drinks. The other is a beautiful piano driven psychedelic interlude leading up to the third one that brings a sort of fulfillment.
I love the traditional Asian music resemblance on the instrumental part of “Loving Someone.” I don’t know if it was intentional or just experimenting on the keys but it really gives a unique touch to the song. The album title track, also the longest of all, is like a vibrant dream, hence the name. It’s playfulness and the way it transforms into something else by the bridge, then back to what it was at the end brings Vessel-era Twenty One Pilots to mind. “The Sound” is another one of the catchy ones; it literally sucked me in after one listen – have you seen its amazing music video yet? “Unconvincing emo lyrics” and “The band thinks it has a charismatic singer…*cuts to Matty’s unimpressed face*…they are mistaken” had me laughing way too much, despite the serious message behind the whole footage.
“Paris” moves along the very similar and throwback-worthy beats of “I’ll be Missing You” by Puff Daddy (he goes by P. Diddy lately, right?) making it an interesting reinvention of a classic. The emotionally most challenging track is definitely “Nana” – it’s peaceful yet cute sadness had me shed a few tears I wasn’t prepared for by the time I got to its end. So unexpected.
Final track “She Lays Down” is an unfittingly fitting live acoustic recording. Meaning, it’s 180 degrees the opposite of the entire direction of the album yet it is the perfect last song. I haven’t heard a song in this style since Paramore‘s “Misguided Ghosts” and that’s the exact reason I adore it to pieces.
“That was it.”
‘I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It’ is out now!
