Notes on a Conditional Form

Manchester, Englands 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, 2020s 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 a la 90s U2. The dewy, near-acoustic folk ballad The Birthday Party finds Healy in a poignant duet with Phoebe Bridgers. Then theres 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 Healys 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 bands identity since A Brief Inquiry. That said, theres also one song on the record that sounds exactly like it could have appeared on the groups 2013 debut. The witty If Youre Too Shy (Let Me Know) sparkles with 80s nostalgia and gratuitous sax solos. ~ Matt Collar

前作〈ネット上の人間関係についての簡単な調査〉とセットになるコンセプトを持った2年ぶりの新作は、環境活動家のグレタ・トゥーンベリのスピーチを使用した曲から始まる、社会的かつパーソナルなメッセージを放つトータル作品に。彼ららしいギター・ロックからR&B、フォーク、パンク、エレクトロ、ヒップホップ、アメリカーナまで音楽的な幅は広く、それぞれの曲が強烈な個性を持つが、美しいインタールードがそれらを見事にひとつの流れに紡いでいる。全体的に何かを悟ったかのような、どことなくスピリチュアルな雰囲気があり、聴き終わった後に崇高な気持ちにさせてくれる。そこが作品に統一感を与えている理由であり、いちばんの魅力でもある。全22曲80分超え。まさに一枚を通して聴くべき〈アルバム〉です。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二