walking upstream…
The 1975
photo: raph_ph · cc by 4.0 ↗The 1975
Formed by four Manchester schoolfriends in 2002 and fronted by the magpie-minded Matty Healy, The 1975 spent a decade woodshedding before their 2013 self-titled debut turned emo, funk, and 1980s synth-pop into a widescreen pop event. Healy's musical memory is encyclopedic and worn openly — the band's records lurch from arena-ready hooks to shoegaze fuzz to gospel-tinged balladry, often within a single song, without ever losing their pop instincts.
the sound in question
2013
ChocolateThe 1975
walk the tributaries ↓
My Bloody Valentine1990s · Shoegaze / Noise pop / Dream pop
Healy has cited My Bloody Valentine, and specifically Loveless, among his all-time favorite albums, and reviewers have described The 1975's second-album deep cut 'Lostmyhead' as a direct tribute to the record's blown-out, melody-inside-noise sound.
listen: upstream & here
1991
Only ShallowMy Bloody Valentine
2016
LostmyheadThe 1975
listen forPlay My Bloody Valentine's 'Only Shallow' — that opening wall of tremolo-bent guitar over a buried vocal — then drop into The 1975's 'Lostmyhead' and listen for the same swirling, pitch-bent guitar haze wrapped around a half-legible melody.
Peter Gabriel1980s · Art rock / Pop rock / Worldbeat
Healy has named Peter Gabriel's So among his favorite albums, and a reviewer noted that The 1975's 'Love Me' mimics Gabriel's 'Big Time' 'to masterful effect' — both songs share a strutting, horn-and-synth swagger about fame and self-image.
listen: upstream & here
1986
Big TimePeter Gabriel
2015
Love MeThe 1975
listen forListen to the punchy, self-mocking bravado of Peter Gabriel's 'Big Time,' with its brassy synth stabs and preening vocal, then The 1975's 'Love Me' — both songs turn celebrity satire into a genuinely fun, funk-inflected strut.
Talking Heads1980s · New wave / Art punk / Post-punk
Healy has repeatedly named Talking Heads among his foundational influences, and critic Andy Gill directly called The 1975's early single 'Love Me' a 'gauche take on Talking Heads' preppy funk-pop' — the band's early run leans on David Byrne's nervy, half-spoken vocal delivery over clipped, danceable guitar-and-synth funk.
listen: upstream & here
1980
Once in a LifetimeTalking Heads
2013
GirlsThe 1975
listen forCue up Talking Heads' art-school funk workout 'Once in a Lifetime' and then The 1975's 'Girls' — listen for the same tight, syncopated guitar-bass interplay and deadpan, slightly ironic vocal cool riding on top of a genuinely propulsive groove.