While some bands can never live up to their first release, The 1975 just gets better and better. “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” continues The 1975’s track record of making great music. This upbeat, honest and unique album was produced by Jack Antonoff, and is full of beautiful songs — mostly revolving around love.

The 1975 begins every album with a track called “The 1975,” preparing listeners for the tone of the upcoming tracks. The first three albums had essentially the same song with the same lyrics — but with a new spin to reflect the rest of the album — and the fourth, “Notes on a Conditional Form,” had its own unique twist. The “Notes on a Conditional Form” version began with a speech by Greta Thunberg, a genius move by the band, forcing listeners to pay attention to the climate crisis. “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” is the first The 1975 album to begin with a normal song. Frontman Matty Healy sings about self-reflection, repeating the line, “I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re seventeen.” It’s a fast-paced song with a slow and peaceful ending, setting up the tone of the next few songs with a perfect balance of both upbeat and calm music.

The second and third tracks — “Happiness” and “Looking for Somebody (To Love)” — are cheerful and dance-worthy 80s-inspired hits. “Happiness” is just a simple song about being in love, while the latter is a little bit deeper, but still has a bright vibe. “Looking for Somebody (To Love)” comments on looking for love in a dark time, hiding lyrics with commentary on mass shootings. Healy often writes serious social commentary behind upbeat songs, showing his skill as a songwriter while drawing attention to important issues.

In “Part Of The Band,” the first single from this album, Healy says, “Am I ironically woke? The butt of my joke? / Or am I just some post-coke, average, skinny bloke calling his ego imagination?” This is another song about self-reflection and questioning. It’s an interesting song with a choppy but cool beat, showing the band’s range with different styles. Similarly, “Human Too” showcases some of Healy’s most vulnerable lyrics — it’s an incredibly raw and honest song about making mistakes.

“Oh Caroline” is another upbeat and energetic song about love for one girl and the yearning for one more chance. “I’m In Love With You,” the sixth track on the album, has a classic 1975 pop feel that never disappoints. Healy repeats the song title as the chorus, creating a sweet and simple love song. These love songs are a sweet change for the band — although they have always written them, this album in particular has more than previous ones, and each one is spectacular.

While “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” is overall an upbeat album, The 1975 still shows their range and skill with incredible slow songs. “All I Need To Hear” is a beautiful ballad that flows with the theme of the rest of the album about the importance of love. Healy sings, “Cause I don’t need music in my ears / I don’t need the crowds and the cheers / Oh, just tell me you love me / ‘Cause that’s all that I need to hear.” The lyrics are simple and elegant, creating one of the band’s best songs by a landslide. The music video begins with Healy speaking about the beauty of the band, matching the honesty of the song and the album as a whole.

“About You” is a beautiful song about remembering the feelings of being in love. The song itself, lyrics aside, is magical — it has a similar vibe to some of their older songs, like “You,” with a dreamy feel that few artists can master. It features Carly Holt — the wife of Adam Hann, the band’s guitarist — whose incredible voice adds to the magic of the song. The final track, “When We Are Together,” is a calm song about the end of a relationship, but also weaves in some social commentary, as Healy is known for. It is a peaceful end to the album, wrapping it up beautifully.

Since 2013, The 1975 has blown listeners away with their range of styles and lyrics, and “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” was no exception. With an incredible mix of upbeat and slow songs, this album truly has no skips and is arguably the album of the year.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars