Manchester, England's
the 1975 bring together all of their influences -- from synthy dance-rock to polished adult-contemporary pop to experimental electronica -- on their ambitious fourth album, 2020's
Notes on a Conditional Form. Produced by lead singer
Matthew Healy and drummer George Daniel, the record feels like a companion piece to
A Brief Inquiry, with songs that shift styles throughout the album. One of the most inspired moments comes right away with "The 1975," an ever-evolving self-titled track that the group rework on each album. This time, the spare electronic production frames a spoken-word essay read by Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, whose heartfelt call to action on climate change offers a moving introduction. The tracks that follow are intriguingly eclectic. We get the ersatz industrial of "People" à la '90s
U2. The dewy, near-acoustic folk ballad "The Birthday Party'' finds Healy in a poignant duet with
Phoebe Bridgers. Then there's the straight-up shoegaze guitars of "Then Because She Goes," the digital electronica track "Frail State of Mind," the shimmery pop/rock of "Me & You Together Song" -- the list goes on. There are also a handful of instrumental tracks that break things up, drawing on a mix of
Steve Reichian orchestral ambiance and '90s experimental electronica. Many of these songs are gorgeously crafted. "The Birthday Party" in particular spotlights Healy's ability to convey seemingly earnest and diaristically candid emotions. Of course, this kind of self-aware, implicitly obvious experimentation has been at the core of the band's identity since
A Brief Inquiry. That said, there's also one song on the record that sounds exactly like it could have appeared on the group's 2013 debut. The witty "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" sparkles with '80s nostalgia and gratuitous sax solos. ~ Matt Collar