By Lexi Lane
A four piece band of boys from Manchester, England released their second album on Feb. 26. The 1975’s “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful, Yet So Unaware of It” displays the change from their black and white, indie rock self-titled album in 2013, to a more colorful, pop-ish sound for their latest album. Despite the change, it is still full of the clever, deep lyrics and hidden social commentary on fame, sadness, love, and religion, that keep fans listening for more.
Made up of frontman and singer Matty Healy, drummer George Daniel, Adam Hann on guitar, and Ross MacDonald on bass, they all play a part in making every single song a strong contender for a favorite. A great example of the band’s unity is “Love Me,” a fun and one of the more rock-influenced tracks that is used to kick off the album.
“She’s American” is another standout track and a personal favorite. It contains similar beats to previous tracks, but the lyrics are what stand out the most – including “don’t fall in love with the moment and think you’re in love with the girl.”
Changing things up right after “She’s American”, is “If I Believe You” – a slower, sadder, and very jazz/gospel-influenced song that shows a completely different side to the band’s typical pop songs on the rest of the album. It deals heavily with the topic of religion and whether to believe in it or not, and Healy really brings the melancholy and lost emotions to the surface.
Going mad is a common theme mentioned several times throughout the album, predominantly in tracks “Lostmyhead” and “The Ballad of Me and My Brain.” “The Ballad of Me and My Brain” is such a clever track – one literally about losing a brain, as if it were a phone or a wallet, but it serves as a powerful metaphor for the going mad theme
Closing the album on a soft and bittersweet note, “Paris” and “She Lays Down” are the more acoustic, stripped-down tracks that provide a great finale, and tie it back to the title’s theme of sleeping in a sweet way.
However if anyone had to listen to any song off of “I Like It When You Sleep..” it should definitely be “A Change of Heart.” Maybe one of my all time favorites from the band, it captures the shift that the band made from the first to second album, both emotionally and lyrically. A song about falling out of love, it references several old song lyrics with slight changes – including “I never found love in the city, just sat in self pity and cried in the car” regarding their 2013 hit “The City,” and “You used to have a face straight out of a magazine, now you just look like anyone” referencing their other song “Robbers.”
Despite having a mouthful of a title, “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful, Yet So Unaware of It” as a whole is an album to definitely listen to, and a brilliant second step for The 1975.
