The 1975 is an indie rock group from the UK. They released their self-titled album in 2013, produced by Arctic Monkeys collaborator Mike Crossey. The 1975’s self titled album spans a wide range of subgenres under the broad label of “indie”. This album includes driving rock songs mixed with instrumentals, 80’s pop, and hints of psychedelic rock. Any artist knows that you shouldn’t paint the foreground first; you start with the background as the foundation, and build from there. From a musical standpoint, The 1975 establishes a solid foundation in and does a fantastic job in the development of the overall structure and texture of their songs from the bottom up. Droning patterns and arpeggios that were once in the limelight slowly fade into the background to add to the rest of the track. One thing I’ve noticed about bands from the UK — notably from the British invasion — is that their accents don’t often surface while singing. A few artists have subtle nuances of their accents shine through, namely Elbow and Courtney Barnett. The album opens up with a very cinematic intro track, also named “The 1975”. My favorite track is “M.O.N.E.Y.” The intro reminds me of Shinichi Osawa’s “London (Home’s Not Where You Lay Your Head)” The song has a bunch of samples and sounds thrown in, adding a really quirky mood to the song. On top of the syncopated synth bass and claps on beats 2 and 4, explosions, short guitar riffs, static, and drops of water create a gorgeous sound sculpture. The drum beat changes towards the end into a much more heavy rhythm while bubbling water and an indecipherable pitch-shifted robot choir chimes a countermelody. The album’s also features two instrumentals, “An Encounter”, and “12” The latter features sweeping synth textures, a choir, and tiny crackling and fizzing pops that repeat at a fairly steady pace while the other textures move freely. The 1975’s debut album showcases some really solid tracks with outstanding production.

Favorite Track: M.O.N.E.Y.