This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is the third studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 30 November 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. Initially titled Music for Cars, the album was intended as the follow-up to I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The term later denoted an era encompassing both their third album and Notes on a Conditional Form, released in 2020. The band halted recording of the first part after lead singer Matthew Healy left for a drug rehabilitation clinic in Barbados, seeking treatment for his heroin addiction. Following the singer's return, the band spent several months completing the album in Northamptonshire and Los Angeles. A maximalist experimental album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships combines rock and pop music with ambient interludes. Eschewing the 1980s-influenced sound of its predecessor, the album embraces a desolate soundscape informed by electronica. Noted for its incorporation of various genres, the record heavily draws from jazz, R&B, electropop, indie rock and Britpop, among others. The songs are characterised by their electronic beats, gospel choirs, neo-soul horns and downtempo rhythms. Guest contributions are featured from the London Community Gospel Choir, No Rome, the Japanese House and Roy Hargrove. Exploring the role of digital communication and the internet in contemporary life, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is a concept album connected by several overarching threads. The album serves as a cautionary political statement, questioning the implications of society's relationship with technology and its impact on millennials. It marks a shift in Healy's portrayal of heroin addiction, embracing sincerity and honesty to speak on the desolation it causes. Eschewing metaphors and ambiguity, the album utilises black humour, simple lyrics and straightforward storytelling, covering dark topics such as nihilism, suicide, depression, anxiety, dissociation, trauma, cynicism and death, among others. The album received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics, who praised the production quality and portrayal of modern life, with some critics calling it a millennial version of Radiohead's OK Computer. It was preceded by the singles "Give Yourself a Try", "Love It If We Made It", "TooTimeTooTimeTooTime", "Sincerity Is Scary" and "It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)". In addition to appearing on numerous publications' year-end and decade-end lists, it won the British Album of the Year at the 2019 Brit Awards. The album became the 1975's third consecutive number one on the UK Albums Chart, and was later certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart and attained top-ten positions in several countries, including on Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. To further promote the album, the band embarked on their Music for Cars Tour.
I like this album better than their other music. The individual songs are ok, but the varied collection of styles makes the album less cohesive.
I keep thinking I need to check out more of The 1975 after enjoying the other selection on this list. This was different in many ways, but still beautifully crafted pop. There are some unique songs (one recited by Siri!). No doubt I’m stating what so many others have when I declare that “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” is probably the catchiest song to address heroin addiction imaginable. Terrific song! I can’t stop listening to it!
A brief inquiry of why was I ambivalent on this album?
No idea what this could be. Can't wait to be amazed.... Ok it was just gay hipster pop. I turned it off after 8 songs. It didn't change tack or anything, I got the full experience. 2/5.
The 1975 is like the emo bands of the 2000s. If you grew up with it you may enjoy it but if it wasn’t your time then they seem like a bunch of weirdos. Mix that in either the popular electronic auto tune sounds of the late 2010s and that’s pretty much this album. A tough one to get through as it all felt really lame or I’m just getting old. 4.4/10
The 1975 aren’t good enough to be so controversial. Discuss.
It's funny how after all the innovative, challenging albums I've gotten to hear during this whole project, it's this album that was like eating glass for me. Grating on the ears and lacking in any real substance. We've all heard worse, but this was not fun at all.
This is the 2nd 1975 LP added to the list and that's about two too many. This band seems to exclusively produce maximalist corporate slop, producing tracks that throw every idea they have at the wall in an attempt to make something coherent. Add in every song being mixed within an inch of its life to give it that sterile Top 40 gloss perfect for coffee shops or Urban Outfitters, and this just isn't a genuine artistic effort all. Final obligatory mention that Healy is a creep to boot!
Absolute pish, from a band who should be nowhere near headline festival slots (but somehow topped the bill a few times) or, ideally, the charts. Terrible vocals, clichéd lyrics, musically boring, and way, way, way too long. There's far better records than this missing from the book; why not auggest one of them instead?!
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Love it if we made it, Inside your mind, It’s not living (if it’s not with you), I couldn’t be more in love
I don't know what to say here. This album often had really cool stuff, then it would fade into the background, and the next time it jumped to my attention, it would sound like a completely different album. I liked everything I heard overall, but I have not earthly idea how I would describe this if someone asked me. However, genre certainly isn't everything, especially when a work is well-executed. I don't have to know how to describe something to like it 4/5
I didn't like this as much as the band's prior entry I heard on the list (which was a couple albums further along in their discography). I thought this less clever and less experimental than it appears to find itself, and have zero appetite for rockstar junkie shit - which it sounds like the lead singer was starting to eschew in this album's era. To the benefit of the music it appears to me. Aside from that it's serviceable post-modern rock.
Whatever
Experimental, electronic, rock, pop. Ni fu ni fa.
If you like the 1975 that’s good for you
Love this album. But somehow not really. I don't understand it. I really want to love it, but it feels so simple. 3
It's alright. Don't love the autotuning that appears on some of the songs. 3 stars.
Okay-ish. But would not be a go-to to listen again
So so. Expecting more
Maybe a sign I’m turning into a grumpy old man, but I really don’t get why the 1975 are so popular, even more so this week when they are headlining Glastonbury. This album hasn’t help change my mind on them either, all I hear is a whiny pop band with guitars.
I honestly thought I was going to hate this. And I did.
Not for me.
A very excellent, catchy pop tune surrounded by auto tuned nonsense.
not for me
Autotunes
So The 1975 are apparently pretty big but I've never knowingly heard anything of theirs and A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships makes me think that's a good thing, because it's crap. It's incredibly boring, it's really badly autotuned, it's like AI making music and somehow being successful. 1/5 because it annoyed me and it lasts nearly a whole fucking hour.