If you follow the contemporary alternative rock scene, The 1975 needs little introduction. The Manchester pop rock quartet have taken the UK by storm, and developed a sizable stateside following in the process — all by taking the grandiosity and starry-eyed wonder of ‘80s pop and giving it a contemporary, witty upgrade. Their trademark punchy guitar lines and upbeat synth, combined with frontman Matty Healy’s playful lyricism, catapulted the band to cult stardom.
However, the lads didn’t get this far by resting on their laurels, and their determination to expand their musical horizons is evidenced on their masterful new single “Somebody Else”. While the previous tracks released off of their upcoming sophomore album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, expanded their ‘80s revivalism into funky new waters, “Somebody Else” takes a decidedly different track. Blending the most melancholy aspects of vintage pop rock with modern chill wave production, the nearly six-minute track is a sonic adventure to behold. Unfurling its full power slowly, the song builds to one of the band’s best hooks to date, before revealing a haunting bridge section in which Matty riffs on society’s emphasis on money and celebrity over companionship:
Got someone you love?
Get someone you need?
Fuck that, get money
I can’t give you my soul
Cause we’re never alone
Heartache and spiritual emptiness have rarely felt so beautiful. Stream “Somebody Else” below, and be sure to pick up I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It on February 26.
