Emo king of indie pop Matty Healy and his long-time friends and bandmates that make up the notorious British pop group The 1975 are back with Notes on a Conditional Form, a sprawling 22 track record that if left to Healy would have been released much sooner and only months after the release of their poignant 2018 release A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. The need for instant gratification isn’t a disease Healy is exactly immune to, even though his lyricism highlights the understanding of this detriment to humanity many times throughout this new release.

Thankfully though, the band took their time while touring the past year by writing additional tracks to bolster their already impressive singles being released ahead of time, including a vulnerable take on a struggling mental state in “Frail State of Mind”, an impassioned speech by none other than climate activist Greta Thunberg in their album intro “The 1975”, and a wholesome take on the difficulties budding LGBTQ teens face when falling in love for the first time in “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America.” The interesting thing about this album that is much different than their past releases is the variety of genres you’ll find within only a little over an hour’s worth of tracks.

There really is something for everyone to come back to, even if they do not want to listen to the album all the way through each time. Are you feeling angry with the state of the world and want to feel understood? The album’s traditional introductory “The 1975” and alt-rock doomsday perspective in “People” will leave you feeling invigorated to act. Do you have a strong preference for country music and just happen to love indie rock as well? Healy and drummer/producer George Daniel experiment with the band’s sound in “The Birthday Party” and “Roadkill” by trying their hand at an indie variation of country rock and succeed in execution. Maybe you are secretly a big Oasis fan and just want to get back to a soft 90’s rock sound? Healy shows a new level of vulnerability in heartfelt tracks such as “Then Because She Goes,” the explosive single “Me & You Together Song,” and last-but-not-least final single release and album ender “Guys” where Healy sweetly sings about how his best friends and bandmates are the loves of his life. Of course though, there are also the classic 80’s synth pop influenced 1975 track with explosive sax solos that fans buy concert tickets to see live: their highest streamed single “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” is everything longtime fans of The 1975 would want to dance to at an indie rock club on a Saturday night. Along with the noteworthy genre fluidity, The 1975 bring the art of the instrumental track back to forefront with many sprinkled throughout the album, acting as a type of musical palette cleanser between courses.

With so much going on throughout the album, it’s definitely one you need to listen to top to bottom at least a couple of times so that you can find your personal preference of tracks, but once you do, you’ll realize that the diversity in sound is not a weakness but a brave feat by a British boy band who only wants to keep releasing new music for the world to enjoy instantly. You can purchase the new album Notes on a Conditional Form as an LP, CD, or Cassette through their online store.

The 1975 Diversify their Indie Pop Sound in "Notes on a Conditional Form"