Album Review: Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975

Being Funny in a Foreign Language

The 1975

Label: Dirty Hit

Score: A-

The 1975 is back with their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language and long-time fans might find comfort in a sound familiar to their earlier music. Sticking to completely live instrumentation, it seems that the band, primarily lead singer Matty Healy, has finally settled into a sound that pinpoints what emotions they want their album to explore. In Being Funny in a Foreign Language’s case it’s all about love, something The 1975 does well, so it’s nice to see it so organized.

It’s hard to narrow down what tracks to highlight on Being Funny in a Foreign Language when every song has its own catchy hook worthy of a fanbase, but I will say “All I Need To Hear” might be a contender for the next best love song. For Healy, it doesn’t need to be a sincere confession of love, he just needs to hear it. The track is done so beautifully it doesn’t matter if he’s not loved back, the song is enough to fall in love.

With Christmas coming up “Wintering” will be what keeps me excited about coming home for the holidays. The song highlights both the good and bad in family, giving it a humorous spin that everyone can relate back to their own family. It’s a holiday song that’s Christmas adjacent, making it one that can be listened to all year long.

Overall, Being Funny in a Foreign Language reintroduces my fondness for The 1975 with catchy hooks by bringing back their original sound. It’s nice to see them fall back into a familiar space while making room for more stories to explore.

— Abbie Riglin