the 1975 ends music for cars era with 'notes on a conditional form'
By Mackenzie Wagner
On May 22, The 1975 released their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form. The album is the second and final component of the band’s Music for Cars era, following A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. The new album is diverse and provides a solid continuation through the band’s latest period. It showcases the virtual world we are living in, is culturally reflective, and goes back to the original sounds of the band’s early days with a more modern spin. Lyrically and musically, the album refers to the band’s past works, which seems to be a trend throughout their albums.
“The End (Music for Cars)” is a reinvention of “HNSCC,” a song from the 2013 EP Music for Cars. This new track is essentially the orchestral version of the previous track. As “Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied” begins to play, listeners are reminded of the 2016 track “If I Believe You” with its choir vocals. Musically, there are similarities that seem to be continuations of previous albums. The interesting thing about The 1975 is that they can create music so similar to their previous work, yet each album is so different from the last.
Lyrically, the band creates many parallels with previous tracks, dating back to the band’s beginnings. “Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)” parallels “Undo” with the idea of unreciprocated affection. In “Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy),” Matty sings “Some things have their time / How can I be yours if you’re not mine,” which draws parallels to “I wanna see you but you’re not mine” in “Undo.” A relationship needs to work on both sides, which is an idea that is carried through lyrics over the years, and possibly something the artist has come to learn over time.
Similarly, “Roadkill” parallels “Robbers” from the self-titled album. Some of the lyrics in the new track were deemed to be controversial online, but the track is ultimately about the stresses of touring America and the burnout it could cause. Matty sings, “If you don’t eat, then you’ll never grow” and “If you don’t shoot then you’ll never know,” followed by “You should’ve learned that quite a while ago,” referencing the “Robbers” lyrics, “If you never shoot you’ll never know / And if you never eat you’ll never grow.” This seems to be Matty’s way of reminding himself of an experience he should already know.
“If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” is a fan favorite, and perhaps that is because it is most like the band’s earliest music. A reputation and distinct sound are often based on an artist’s earlier work. Many people connected with the band’s music in 2013, and “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” is most like it, which is why so many people loved it. “Don’t Worry” is another track that has been widely talked about on social media. It is an emotional and honest song written by Matty’s father, Tim Healy. It seems to be a stand-out track on the album because of its sincere emotion.
With the end of the Music for Cars era, it is uncertain what is next for The 1975. When it is safe to do so, the band has plans to reschedule their plans to tour with their new album. A fifth album has been discussed, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Notes on a Conditional Form was highly anticipated and proved to be worth the wait.