Notes On: Notes on a Conditional Form - An Album Review

Multiple release date pushbacks, eight diverse new singles and multiple contradictory pre-release reviews, set the 1975’s newest album ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ up as a release that fans had no idea how to prepare for but were also expecting to succeed expectations. The 1975 are known for their ability to push musical boundaries, strip them back and experiment all while retaining the ability to produce music that is timeless but undoubtedly new. But with this capability as a band comes a fear that they may take their music production to extents that messily unravel and lose sense of surrounding. In the case of The 1975's ‘Notes’, they have shown that musical boundaries can be pushed and limitlessly explored to create an album that depicts their raw progression as a band without musically crumbling.

While Notes in the early stages of pre-release reviews was slaughtered and defined as a ‘confusing exhausting mess’ and ‘preposterously lumpy’ – I feel this sentiment that the album is confusingly dysfunctional comes from the inability to understand the band’s unserious serious approach to creating music. Whilst they create music that is deeply meditative, deliberately controversial and a repertoire of their life experiences, they also see the whimsical humour that music can withhold. The kaleidoscope of songs that Notes displays explore these parallels to their music. While to those who struggle to understand this may define the album as an incomprehensible mesh of songs, Notes in its truest form is a fragmentally cohesive masterpiece.

The album kick starts with a provocative warning, delivered by Greta Thunberg, of the current state of the world in which we live supplemented with the punchy call to ‘Wake up’ from the bands generational angst single ‘People’ that follows. Further in, the album is seen to explore alternative indie reflections of the British noughties with popular single ‘Me & You Together Song’ and short but sweet ‘Then Because She Goes’. Songs like ‘Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied’ and ‘Having No Head’ unite the familiar ambience of their sophomore album (iliwys) with more current experimentations of sound. Notes is littered with secret references to older albums in both sound and lyrics while still remaining distinctively new such as within the fresh and vibey ‘I Think There’s Something You Should Know’. Instrumentals unfold operatic to funky dance vibes - that though some define as “boring fillers” – are beautifully underrated symphonies. ‘Shiny Collarbone’, a funky instrumental caught the love of British fans on twitter claiming it: ‘a festival rave tune for the ages’. Without even touching the surface of the sounds explored in Notes, it is clear to see that The 1975 have really tested new waters and done so in a way that still resonates a distinguishable sound for the band in their final album of the ‘Music For Cars’ era.

The decision to postpone the release of Notes is prevalent throughout in the sense that the album rather than being a typical complete collection of songs (as the eight strong singles released before the album suggested) is rather an album of cohesive experimental euphoric tunes. This in no way, shape or form discredits the album – the clear distinction that the band has changed over the process of creating Notes comes together as a perfect end to this era. Matty Healy strips himself bare tearing his ego to pieces in each song. We see the band’s front man - critique himself, confess lies, admit adoration for those around him, unveil the scary but natural thoughts life can provoke plus discuss the simplicity, beauty and struggles of life. As the album winds down with ‘Don’t Worry’ and ‘Guys’, there is no clear end hence no obvious route ahead for the direction of The 1975’s music. The narrative that the boy's music generates remains without boundaries and open for experimentation. Notes all in all seems to be an ode to the band’s development during ‘Music For Cars’ but also a depiction of an unclear but free future to create. It’s an album I shall play on repeat far into the future.