10 Rock Albums That Are Way Too Bloated
3. Notes on a Conditional Form - the 1975
Most of the biggest albums of the past few years haven't gotten to where they are just because of the amazing songs from track to track. This is the era of playlists, and some of the latest albums from everyone from Drake and Kanye West have been trying to make the most of streaming platforms by making their album flow like a playlist, with more than enough songs for a fully fleshed out album. The 1975 seemed ready to get on the hype train too, but Notes on a Conditional Form does not warrant that kind of run length by any stretch.
As much as the intention behind these songs work, most of the project is bogged down by interludes that have absolutely nothing to do with the music. While opening your album up with a speech by Greta Thunberg is a very inspired and interesting idea, the rest of the interludes don't really come correct on here, either spending most of their time making white noise or building atmosphere that has nothing to do with the track that follows it.
Which is a shame because this album does have some of the band's best songs to date as well, like the manic People, the '90s love song Me and You Together Song, and closing up shop pretty nice with Guys. There's more than enough here for the record to be one of the best that the 1975 have ever made, but someone needs to tell Matty Healy to lay off the ambience for just a little bit.