Month: November 2016

“Synthetic apparitions of not being lonely” could describe any The 1975 show.

Matty Healy twitches around as his skinny legs squirm to the electric beat. He nonchalantly swigs from his wine glass as his crazy curls bounce in time with his fingers as they nonchalantly play simple chords on the piano.

Seeing The 1975 live is an experience. The light show is candy for your eyes. The lyrics are food for your soul; dripping in neon dreams and sex fueled guitar riffs, one young adult can’t help but close their eyes and get lost in every moment. Each band member keeps to themselves, focusing on their parts, barely making a head nod or smile to one another. All remain dark shadows in front of an array of colorful psychedelics, making every concert goer oooh and ahh in a magical haze, while capturing the perfect Instagram.

As for the setlist, it couldn’t have been more dynamic. Interludes like “Please Be Naked and “I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It” were dripping (literally, the background was melting colors) in pure emotion as ringleader Matty plucked gracefully at every piano key. Older songs like, “Girls,” “Sex,” and “Medicine” had fans jumping and clapping in time with every word.

One of my friends has barely listened to anything by The 1975 and after watching the show said it was one of the best concerts she’s ever been to. The energy was electric youth fueled on love and heartbreak. Healy makes fans feel like there’s an unspoken club we all can be in together where the skies are light pink and love is always free. Boxing these guys into one genre would be insulting; their sound is unique beyond words. The focus is on the music, and not themselves. Fans care about their sound, NOT who they go out with or how much money they make.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Setlist:
“The 1975”
“Love Me”
“UGH!”
“Heart Out Loud”
“A Change of Heart”
“This Must Be My Dream”
“I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it”
“M.O.N.E.Y.”
“Undo”
“Loving Someone”
“She’s American”
“Please Be Naked”
“Lostmyhead”
“Somebody Else”
“Paris”
“Girls”
“Sex”
Encore
“Medicine”
“If I Believe You”
“Chocolate”
“The Sound”

“Answer” is the holiest we’ve ever heard Phantogram. Piano chords glitching on repeat remind fans of the emotional impact this band can still have even in a ballad style. Lead singer, Sarah Barthel’s voice gracefully opens with, “And you can’t hold me down, cause I need an answer, cause I need an answer love.”

It almost feels like a prayer you could recite before bed. Clarity and the power of hope take over your mind. Most people can relate to these honest searching words (try not to shed a tear while really listening to the words.) The duet-like setup makes the song reminiscent of a relationship. As usual, the two succeed at harmonies so in-step, it’s chilling. The pre-chorus peeps out saying, “They say be with the one that you love, be with the one that you love, I need an answer.”

The New York natives admitted their new album is different from their past sound. Barthel told thenationalstudent.com, “I think it’s really easy to want to rush out music in the digital age – it’s so easy to just finish something and want people to hear it straight away… But it’s important to fine tune your songs and not rush anything.” The inspiration behind “Answer” was the loss of musicians like Bowie and Prince, as well as Barthel’s sister this year. Phantogram has proven their music can be raw and beautiful, and that is the answer.