The 1975 at Academy 2 on the 11th of December 2012

With the recent release of their second EP ‘Sex,’ THE 1975 arrive in Dublin equipped with one of the freshest, most versatile sounds heard in recent times.

Bearing hoods and leather jackets, the band takes-stage as if they were actively loitering before. It’s a worthy look, it mirrors their attitude and music. Quick to show the meaning of haste, they begin with popular track The City.  The infectious drum beat captures attention, yet strangely the crowd is slow to assist with a usual bounce. Thankfully, an arrival of late attendees helps to fill the venue to a comfortable capacity and dust off any coyness.

The band settle and singer Matt politely says hello before humorously telling the audience, “we’re fans of Dublin, not fans of customs, but fans of Dublin.” Manchester’s new boys thrash straight into Milk, a romper of a tune which lies hidden as a ghost track on the current EP.

Having a versatile sound, The 1975 cleverly blend pop music with ambience and heavy guitars. Chocolate shows off the band’s capability to compose radio friendly tunes, with R&B grooves yet romantic choruses. George on drums once again provides a heart-jolting beat, enabling the crowd to become a little more generous with their bop.

Mid-way through the show, an initially heavy set soon calms with She Way Out, a warm song filled with incredible synthesiser and vocals. The mood slowed further with the beautiful Robbers, a song with a clear theme of love; the emotional vocal displayed cued a tender silence. Matt impressively sang the lyrics while tuning his guitar and telling the audience to “be quiet,” as if scolding students disturbing an exam. An intimate version of Woman, from the ‘Facedown’ EP, was the ideal song to follow and had the room brimming with gentle calm.

Now for the best part; singer Matt ups the tempo with timely profanity and introduces Sex, easily one of the best songs the band has written. The audience groove to the punk riffs and mouth lyrics like “she’s got a boyfriend anyway.” A heavy guitar melee to finish the song had the place shaking.

With little time left, the quartet from Manchester round things up with the brilliant You. A clever conclusion, the memorable guitar hook throughout the song, surprisingly written by drummer George, anchors the listener and leads them to humming it long after the show.

The 1975 are due to release two EP’s and a debut album in 2013, along with intense touring across the UK and America. Intense being the operative word; it’s rare to see a band with the ability to command tension and release. This Manchester foursome have it on tap.