Single of the Week: The 1975’s “Frail State of Mind”
By Matt Forbes
At this point, it’s hard to accuse The 1975 of being stylistically one-note.
The English band has forayed into many a musical territory recently – post-punk, neo-soul and ambient being just a few – while still somehow managing to keep a pretty consistent sonic identity for the most part.
In keeping with that trend, the band’s latest single, “Frail State of Mind”, is a total 180 away from the ferocious and in-your-face presentation of their last release, ‘People’.
“Frail State”, which is the third track to be released from the band’s upcoming fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form, is a return to the band's moodier and more introspective side, with some very heavy ties to the UK garage scene coming through in the production.
When the band wear their influences on their sleeve, it’s very apparent, whether it be to their detriment or benefit.
“Frail State of Mind” is no exception, borrowing many an element from the work of British producer Burial – the heavily syncopated breakbeat loop, the fractured vocal samples, the gloomy ambiance largely created through vinyl crackle.
Despite this, the song still feels like it couldn’t have been released by any other band or artist, because the amalgamation of sounds going on is just so 1975.
The choppy pianos that pop up recurringly have a 90’s R&B flair to them – a sound which the band has shown their love for in the past. They’re also indicative of how intricately produced the song is, with layers of pitch-shifted vocals, subterranean bass and glistening synth pads all coalescing into a euphoric whole.
Frontman Matthew Healy’s performance is as fragile as the song title would suggest as he paints a dejected portrait of isolation brought on by social anxiety. His lyrics are far from elaborate, but their simplicity makes lines like “I'm sorry that I missed your call / I watched it ring / 'Don't waste their time’” all the more tragically relatable.
Around the 2-minute mark, the song launches into a stunning interlude led by a soundscape of synthetic and organic strings. This leads the track into a mesmerising finale, with more frantic lead vocals backed by fragments of harmonies.
The climax is almost as overwhelming as the anxiety Healy is singing about, as the drums pick up in intensity and the layering becomes incredibly dense.
“Frail State of Mind” is more of a slow-burner than some of the band’s previous singles, but it never once feels boring. Despite its overall despondency and frantic ending, the track offers the type of musical bliss that makes you want to listen to it on loop as you drive through the city at night.
It’s pointless predicting what the rest of Notes on a Conditional Form, which is due out in February of next year, will sound like, but if the last two singles from it are any indication, we can at least expect a high standard of songwriting across the tracklist.