Album review: The 1975, The 1975 (Polydor)

 

Andy Gill
Thursday 29 August 2013 18:28 BST
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The 1975 have made much of their eclecticism, the way that YouTube has effectively telescoped all of pop history into one big stylistic marketplace. Which raises the obvious question: then why settle on a sound like this – a blend of electropop and slick guitar work, which suggests that they should have called themselves The 1985. With their lyrical focus on teen sex, money and the misplaced glamour of crime, at times it's like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, for boys. Which is fine as far as it goes: “Tell me what you need at 17,” sings Matthew Healy, “Just girls, breaking hearts”. But the infectious pop thrill that attends the singles “The City”, “Sex” and “Chocolate” soon tarnishes through the sort of repetition that suggests their eclecticism isn't quite as broad as they imagine.

Download: The City; Sex; Chocolate

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