If I had to describe this album in one word, it would be dreamy. Not in a Matt Healy kind of dreamy, even though he is, but a more of drifting through a dream. The album starts out just like their previous one, the first song being an intro titled, The 1975. This song is short but has the feeling of drifting off to sleep with a soft beginning and progressing to a questionable closing. The beginning of this album intrigues the question for 1975 fans out there, “Where are we going? Where is this album going?” The band did a good job of setting the tone for their album.
“Love Me:” Now this is screaming 80’s pop. Matty has been painting his nails black, wearing eyeshadow, and smudged eyeliner. He has really embraced the 80’s style and there’s nothing wrong with that. In interviews Matty and the band explain that they felt the need to recreate the genre of pop. The band feels as if pop has been exploited and looked at in the wrong light for quite awhile now. Pop isn’t a bad thing or a bad genre of music to be categorized in, but society has shown a bad light on it due to the phonies of pop now.
“UGH!:” This is a classic 1975 song. As soon as this single dropped the classic 1975 fangirl came out of myself. This song played over and over in my car and headphones for weeks. UGH! truly embodies the classic 1975 sound.
“A Change of Heart:” This song reminds me of a dancing around with a loved one in the living room at 2 AM, even though the song has nothing to do with that. This song again gives me the feeling of being in a dream; it seems to convey the idea of floating amongst the clouds.
“She’s American”: I think this song also has that classic 1975 sound as well. This song is almost laughable to me considering I am American. To hear a British band singing lines such as, “If she likes it cause, we just don’t eat/And we’re so intelligent, she’s American/If she says I’ve got to fix my teeth/Then she’s so American,”  is comical in a way, and really makes me think about if I’m that shallow.Â
“If I Believe You:” This album seems to speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down. It allows there to be an appreciation for each song. This song happens to have a soulful aspect to it with the choir joining in on certain parts and the organ playing. There’s a certain rawness of the song, with Matty singing, “Then I’m asking you, Jesus, to show yourself.” This isn’t the first time we have heard the band make references to God or a higher being.Â
“Please Be Naked:” When I saw the playlist of the album, I saw this song thinking about Matt Healy… let’s be honest. None of us were expecting an instrumental, nor did many of us probably want it to be an instrumental. Although, it works. It sounds as if there’s an aching for the partner to maybe be physically naked, but maybe naked in the sense of baring their soul.Â
“Lostmyhead:” This song is another instrumentally driven track. This part of the album reminds me of their song “Intro / Set 3” from their first album, intriguing and catchy for not having many words. After listening to the album a million times in a row, I began to catch references to songs from their previous album or other songs on this album. In their song “Facedown” from their first album, Matty sings, “Then he said I lost my head, can you see it?” Other references involving different songs are seen throughout the album too.
“The Ballad of Me and My Brain:” This again is reminding the listener that the dream is continuing. The kind of dream that seems stressful and once you wake up there’s a loss of breath and the confusion of trying to piece the puzzle it all together. There’s a high tension throughout the song with Matty screaming all of the lyrics.
“Somebody Else:” This again has an 80’s vibe to me. The classic drop and then going into the chorus. Sure, this is done now by just about everybody, but the 1975 does it in a classy, memorable way. Also, the lyrics of the song are so relatable and Matty sings in a way where the tone of his voice is felt in each lyric. Everybody can relate to the feeling of not wanting to be with somebody, but not wanting them to be with somebody else. This song says a lot about the band and how lyrically and musically talented they are.
“Loving Someone:” Yet again, another classic 1975 track to me, but with their new sound in it. It’s as if their previous sound and new sound collided to make a perfect song. This song should be played with the windows down on a warm sunny day, equivalent to “Girls” from their previous album. They both have the same vibe.
“I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it“: This is another instrumental that could potentially embody the entire sound of the album. It really carries out that dreamy and mystical vibe of the album.
“The Sound:” To me, this seems to be their song that defines this album. The chorus is accompanied by a choir allowing it to have an element of soul. This song tends to have the 80’s pop sound again and reminding me of good ol’ Phil Collins. Also, this music video is my favorite out of all their music videos they have released. If you haven’t watched it yet, I suggest you do.
“This Must Be My Dream:” This one also has that great 80’s vibe with a spectacular sing-a-long vibe where you and your friends take turns being Matt Healy, and then whoever isn’t chimes in with, “This must be my dream.” Maybe that’s a little excessive, but you get what my point is.
“Paris:” This song tells a story that is somehow relatable, it is the kind of song that you would turn on after a really long day.
“Nana:” Now this song just makes you fall in love with the band even more… if that’s even possible. It’s just Matty crooning about his Nana and wishing she was here. It’s awesome how open and raw he is with the lyrics in this song.
“She Lays Down:” The last song on the album has a solid acoustic sound that lets you hear the raw voice of Matt Healy, which after the entire album is an appropriate ending. It has the tone of a lullaby in a way, just a guitar and a voice. Matty is singing us to sleep almost, which may be more of a fantasy than what the band actually intended to happen. The song ends with Matty singing, “That was it.”
The entire album has a lot of different vibes and may not be as easy of a listen as their first album, although, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it sure does a hell of a job for their second released album. This album is for the dedicated, true fans of The 1975. Bravo boys, we can’t wait to hear what’s next.