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The 1975’s third concept album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, is a melting pot of genres, making it one of their greatest albums to date.

A Brief Inquiry conceptualizes today’s era of technology — constant scrolling and consuming of media, and online addiction. The album came out in 2018, yet it touches on many social struggles happening in today’s society. 

The symbolism of songs like “Love It If We Made It” doesn’t stray far from reality now. 

Lyricist Matty Healy sings, “Write it on a piece of stone, a beach of drowning three-year-olds.” 

These lyrics refer to Alan Kurdi, a young Syrian refugee who drowned in the Mediterranean with his mother and brother. When their bodies were found, it caused an outcry all over Europe for the persecution in Syria.

Healy wrote this song as a social anthem, targeting the corruption that is so prevalent today. In his words, “Modernity has failed us.”

A Brief Inquiry features many genres, ranging from hard rock to synth-pop. “Mine” is The 1975’s experimentation with jazz music. The band took inspiration from American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. The soft trumpet solo and the jazz piano tug at the listener’s heartstrings.

“It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” seems like an inviting love song, yet it is anything but that. The song describes the singer’s unhealthy reliance on his partner but is a metaphor for Healy’s past drug addiction. The iconic guitar riff at the beginning shapes it up to be lighthearted, slowly incorporating more instruments as the song progresses.

“Collapse my veins wearing beautiful shoes,” Healy sings. “It’s not living if it’s not with you.”

While being a weak point sound-wise, the meaning of “I Like America & America Likes Me” makes up for it. The song tackles Healy’s controversial takes on gun rights in America, actively standing against them. The robot-like voice adds to the dystopian ideas included in the lyrics.

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is a jarring album that presents more than meets the eye. Its ability to switch between genres and still maintain the album’s sense of identity takes skill not many can achieve.