The 1975 returns with ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’

As The 1975 made the rounds to promote their newest album, lead singer Matt Healy told NME, “I’m not 50, but I’m not 19; I don’t want to be. I’m in my 30s. I want to be a grown-up.” Beneath the matter-of-fact Manchester attitude, this statement hinted at something massive for the band — maturation. A push, finally, beyond the slicked-back adolescence of their 2013 debut, an album whose stark depictions of sex, drugs and heartbreak had long overstayed its welcome.

Maybe, just maybe, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” would be the step forward the group has so desperately needed, channeling their pop-rock leanings into songs that actually feel appropriate for a band with nearly a decade in the spotlight. 

Outwardly, the stars seemed to be aligning. The band announced that their new record would be a collaboration with producer Jack Antonoff, the major architect behind the introspective career shifts of Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey. 

The tracklist was a clear marker of a departure from their past. Gone were the days of the band’s 80-minute marathons; “Being Funny” features a trim, down-and-dirty 11 songs totaling 43 minutes. The entire rollout pointed towards a record that was a culmination of everything the band had learned so far, the sum of all the turbulent experiences that come with being The 1975. 

While the band certainly shoots for that ambitious billing, the final product feels too middling and inconsistent to fully make good on the record’s full potential. 

That’s not to say that “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” doesn’t come with its fair share of highlights. Take the eponymous opening track, “The 1975,” whose cycling pianos and swelling strings set a perfect stage for Healy’s dramatic tale of emotional growth throughout his time as one of rock music’s last star figures. He’s a cynical mess, mixing Adderall with Aperol, lamenting the current state of the world while acknowledging his lack of perspective on the matter. It’s the band’s classic, tongue-in-cheek songwriting formula, updated for a new chapter in their career.

Another highlight is “Oh Caroline,” which feels like a modernized ‘80s bop, complete with a chorus that is just too damn catchy not to become a sleeper hit. 

The album’s penultimate track, “About You,” sees the band employing the same cavernous, slow-mo production style you might hear on a classic Slowdive song, but with enough swirling, emotional guitars to land it on an A24 soundtrack. It’s a great change of pace for the band and a powerful “curtains close” moment for the album. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are some pretty amazing high points on this record. However, there are just as many moments that stand out for all the wrong reasons. 

From its sluggish pace to the awkwardly-placed transitions between the orchestral verses and acoustic choruses, “Part of the Band” — one of the album’s lead singles — feels like a loosely recorded demo track that was supposed to be properly finished down the road. The same criticisms apply to “Human Too,” one of the rare moments on the record where there isn’t even a strong, hummable tune at the core of the track. 

All of this criticism exists before even mentioning the lyrics. This album features, hands-down, some of Matt Healy’s tackiest and most grating songwriting on any The 1975 record to date. Whether he’s musing about “vaccinista tote bag chic baristas” on “Part of the Band” or the horrible attempt at quaint storytelling on “Wintering,” his lyrics consistently undermine otherwise enjoyable tracks. “I like socks and sandals, she’s more into scented candles” legitimately approaches “Drops of Jupiter” levels of stomach-churning corniness. The lyrics reek of a false sense of maturity, instead of the authentic songwriting progression that the band seemed to be moving towards. 

Despite reservations, this is not a bad record by any stretch. It fits snuggly into the band’s indie-pop canon while taking a few risks in the process. However, that’s all it does. Even with a new producer and a tightened tracklist, this still feels like just another The 1975 record, complete with all the familiar highs and lows. The band continues struggling to find its identity in a shifting musical landscape, and “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” doesn’t necessarily move the needle.