QR Music Review: The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try

'1st June - The 1975': For fans of The 1975, this date is significant. For months, the band have used the date as a countdown on their social media. Until today, fans would question: a countdown for what? But now we know, it was a countdown for not only a new single and album, but a new chapter for the Manchester band.

After a two year absence, The 1975 are back with their new single, 'Give Yourself a Try' - the first snippet from their new album titled 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships', which is scheduled for release in October. 

This album is the first of two albums announced by the band yesterday on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show (31st May). It will be followed in May 2019 by 'Notes On a Conditional Form' - another full length album that will usher in a new era for the band; an era titled Music For Cars by lead singer Matty Healy.

'Give Yourself a Try' opens and is carried by a loud, twisting guitar riff that is the real stand-out in terms of the single's instrumentation. It's easy to find yourself trapped in analysing this aspect of the song - and all other aspects, really - is this guitar riff symbolic of the lyrical content? Is the loud, disruptive riff placed throughout the song to convey the anxiety and complexities of age and identity expressed by Healy?

The lo-fi production of the single is a stark contrast to the finely polished 'Love Me', the first single from the band's last album, 2016's 'I like it when you sleep...'. This is just one way in which the new 1975 express themselves. The single's production paves a way for the new era to flourish; it feels as though they are a band returning to their roots somehow, a band on the cusp of really getting to know themselves.

Lyrically, the single explores varying aspects of themes of age and identity and the complex relationship between them. Healy gives advice to his younger self, expressing that: "you'll make a lot of money / and it's funny / 'cause you'll move somewhere sunny and get addicted to drugs." This explores an explicit way in which fame and success has influenced The 1975. Healy, in particular, has been clear and open in expressing his past drug and alcohol abuse. By stating such views to his younger self via this song, it shows a dischord between Healy's past and present self; it presents a warning that he can no longer take.

As he has just recently turned 29, Healy explores what it means to be a millenial. The uncertainty in how the song sounds and feels, with Healy's vocals burried within the loud and pounding mix, highlights the anxiety faced by millenials in an uncertain world. The lyric "you're getting spiritually enlightened at 29" in particular highlights a way in which those nearing their 30s may feel as though they 'know it all', where the threat of growing older that so many fear and run from begins to become a reality. This is reinforced at the beginning of the music video, wherein Healy is viewed in a therapy session set-up, questioning his identity and authenticity.

What is troubling about this song, however, is whether the portrayals of the difficulties in growing up and changing yourself are geniune. It's hard to pinpoint whether the exploration is a geniune account of how the band feel, or whether it is contrived for millenial relatability. This is a vein running throughout the discography of The 1975, it is difficult to know whether this is how the band feels, or whether they are portraying the views of their fans, most of whom are millenials. The question is, though: does it really matter?

'Give Yourself a Try' is definitely a song that grows on you. There is so much to unpack, both lyrically and musically, that a handful of plays doesn't feel like enough.

You can stream 'Give Yourself a Try' on all streaming services, and can check out the official music video below:

By Jane Corscadden