Sometimes a song means something to you because it marks a moment in your life. 'Robbers' has marked a very specific moment in my life- which I can truly say was simultaneously one of the best and most exciting moments of my life so far.
On the 10th of December, my best friend, Emily, and myself travelled all the way to Manchester to meet The 1975. Being huge fans of the band, even though we couldn't afford tickets, we stood eagerly at the stage door waiting for out chance to meet our favourite band.
Whilst stood outside (me eating sushi from the Tescos garage, keeping it classy) we could hear the flawless performance inside the Manchester O2 Apollo. Then, a miracle occurred. Such an amazing event that it I believe that someone out there must've prayed for me. A roadie gave us free tickets to go in and the see the band.
We literally ran into the venue, where Robbers was being performed, and danced manically at the back of the crowd, shamelessly singing back every lyric to Matty Healy. The performance quality of the songs we managed to hear; Robbers, Chocolate and Sex was what made the experience so magical. Each word was flawlessly sung and Hann, Ross and George never missed a beat.
It was an amazing experience- even if all we saw actually saw/heard was Robbers, Chocolate and Sex. However, each of these songs were amazingly performed and I could not have been happier.
On the cue of, 'Thankyou and goodnight Manchester', we rushed outside. After 20 minutes Matty and George came out.
I gave Matty the personally engraved zippo I had done for him a while back- plus we had a little chat and some pictures. Then, I did the same with George- who even complimented my jacket! (Monochrome all the way!)
Both of the boys were nothing but helpful and lovely- even if they must've been incredibly jetlagged!
We didn't get to meet Ross and Adam- but there is always February in Sheffield!
So yes, not only is this song utterly exceptional and a perfect mix of rhythm and poetic lyrics- it now has a very special place in my heart.
Well, well, well look who's here again! I just cannot get enough of the Manchester foursome, The 1975! One thing admirable about The 1975 is the fact that they are so honest with the music that they create. They don't avoid 'touchy subjects' and they create music about real issues/adventures that life involves. Drugs. Love. Sex. So these topics are discussed on the album- which is so refreshing and charming that you can't help but love them! Then at the same time they can pair these lyrics with upbeat tunes of a high quality. This album ticks ALL the boxes. So, here is my track by track view of the self-titled album!
Rating: *****
'The 1975' The opening track is here to set the tone for the self-titled album- which it achieves perfectly! This track is short but builds to an epic crescendo which quickly cuts...leaving you excited for what's in store!
'The City'
This song perfectly captures the essence of The 1975. It has a catchy tune, heavy drums and an infectious beat. The lyrics to this song are flawlessly sung by Matthew Healy who you can't help but sing along with. A round of applause to The 1975, we're already in love.
'M.O.N.E.Y'
What a song! On only the third track The 1975 throw out some of their best work. 'M.O.N.E.Y' again give us their signature sound and robotic-style harmonies. I get the feeling of some Prince influences from this track- and I'm not complaining!
'Chocolate'
This track is most likely the most well known song by The 1975- as you can't go a day without hearing it on the radio. The boys caress our ear drums with the amazing tune of this song and catchy guitar hooks. The lyrics tell us of the hinted drug-fueled adventures of the youthful band. It's truly exceptional, honest and a delight to hear. With such lyrics as, 'guns hidden under our petticoats', 'run, run away from the boys in the blue'- which show us how this songs has hints towards the police/law enforcement using their power to control youth. A youth which don't necessarily need controlling.
'Sex'
If you couldn't tell already The 1975 love to tell us a good story, and this song is no exception! You can hear the power in Matthew Healy's voice as he delivers perfect vocals and catchy lyrics. You can tell that this song would be great live- having everybody dancing and singing, 'She's got a boyfriend anyway!'. Awesome.
'Talk!'
'Why you talk so loud?'.This song perfectly showcases Ross McDonald's bass skills. This is a very easy song to get along with and changes from a choppy rhythm to a slow groove.
'An Encounter' This track is a very short, almost trippy, interlude. There isn't much to say about it except that it's a good pallet cleanser and refreshes you.
'Heart Out' I get a 'Prince-feeling' (if you will) from this track. After being refreshed by the previous track, I really like the song.
'Settle Down'
Probably my favourite song by The 1975- this is much slower than tracks such as, 'Girls'. When Matty sings, 'For crying out loud, settle down', I cannot help but get chills and want sing with him.
'Robbers' 'Robbers' is a much calmer song where we get to hear more of Healy's romantic vocals. This song, again, tells us a story which implies violence, drugs and trouble. For me, this is one of the best songs on the album. I adore it.
'Girls'
Wow. Wow. WOW. This song is complete pick me up and a definite favourite. I'm not sure if it's the handy work of Adam Hann or the catchy lyrics but this song is truly something else. It's a contrast with the previous calmer track, but this colourful injection is not one that would go without a miss. Whether or not it's intentional I can hear the sound of Cyndi Lauper in here, 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', even though the lyrics hold the antheisis of Cyndi's hit.
'12'
Much like the opening track, '12' is short, but most definitly sweet.
'Menswear'
Such a cool track. It really grabs your interest and I love the line, 'Why don't you talk to Matty about it?'.It makes you feel involved in the song which bursts into life after a synthesized introduction. Again, we get a mention of drugs in here- a running and refreshingly honest theme that The 1975 involve.
'Pressure'
I believe that this track could quite easily be about the pressure of suddenly being a band that has gone from playing together in Matty's bedroom to having a world tour. However, we are promised, 'There's a change in pressure, we're never gonna le to you'. This is quite a laid-back song but with the same The 1975 beat. This track is very inspiring. This song is great to listen to when you're studying as it's not too 'dance-around-your-room-happy' but isn't 'sit-and-think-about-the-meaning-of-life-laidback'. A quality track.
'Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You' This is the big finale for an exceptional album. You can really hear the emotion in Healy's voice and tell that the lyrics come from close to the heart. This song is almost a lullaby, a great send off to a great album.
********************* 102 This is a beautiful song, you can hear the raw emotion in Healy's voice as he executes, 'you yapping on about him'. It is relatable to anyone who has ever been in the chokehold of unrequited love. Possibly my faovurite song of all time.
Sometimes a song means something to you because it marks a moment in your life. 'Robbers' has marked a very specific moment in my life- which I can truly say was simultaneously one of the best and most exciting moments of my life so far.
It was an amazing experience- even if all we saw actually saw/heard was Robbers, Chocolate and Sex. However, each of these songs were amazingly performed and I could not have been happier.
