Notes on a Conditional Form
by The 1975
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 200 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 132 out of 200
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 200
  3. Negative: 31 out of 200
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  1. Bluejuice123
    May 22, 2020
    9
    Brilliant sonic soundscapes and a huge range. This is a superb album - varied, vibrant and vital!
  2. JuanRH
    May 25, 2020
    10
    the great part of the album is varied, The 1975 shows us that once again they are not only an indie band but they know how to go further than their base genre.
  3. Wink93
    May 25, 2020
    10
    Dope album. Only band putting out new music with anything meaningful or thought provoking.
  4. musicmaniac
    May 22, 2020
    0
    Awful.
    I tried to like it but every other song is an autotuned mess. Matt's completely lost his mind (probably all the drugs and weed he smokes). One of the worst releases in the past 10 years. I'll put it down there with all the other gangster rap.
  5. gobitoe
    May 22, 2020
    6
    Don't get me wrong; this album is not terrible in any way. I think the main problem with this album is the lack of balance between the tracks. The mixing is uneven, you have a lot of filler instrumental tracks (which again, aren't horrible on their own, they just don't fit the general style).

    This album is all over the place, it takes you from punk to indie, to disco back to    Don't get me wrong; this album is not terrible in any way. I think the main problem with this album is the lack of balance between the tracks. The mixing is uneven, you have a lot of filler instrumental tracks (which again, aren't horrible on their own, they just don't fit the general style).

    This album is all over the place, it takes you from punk to indie, to disco back to alternative, etc. You can't sit down and enjoy the record for more than 2 tracks before it starts throwing your mind around left and right not giving you time to take in whatever is happening, and with the mixing being awkward I found myself changing the volume through the album a lot.

    With their last record, I feel like they had struck a perfect balance of their alt-rock/pop/instrumental formula. The album would pick back up on boring moments, and wasn't so messy. This album is very long, the tracks don't fit well with one another, almost as if they wanted this to be a double album, but they rushed into packing all of these ideas into one.

    I understand they most likely have contracts to respect, but I would have cut about half of the album and released later as an EP or something else, not as a 22 track album.

    Overall, this album will just be a "spawn" for fans to add songs to their playlists, and forget about the rest.

    tl;dr - The songs are good , but the album pretty much serves no purpose and is very messy.    … Expand
  6. Skydog
    May 22, 2020
    0
    After being a huge fan of a couple of their singles over their years i expected them to return to their original vibes with this one but what I found was an unbalanced, disoriented mess of an album with very little purpose. There was only maybe two tracks that stood out which is as bad as most of the 80s one hit wonder albums.
  7. SpiritedWine
    May 22, 2020
    3
    There are some good tracks on this album. However, the album lacks purpose and feels very untidy. Whilst a diverse range of genres is most appreciated, this album signifies that The 1975 no longer possesses the unique style they once had. A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships should have been the framework to build off for this album.
  8. Alvo
    May 22, 2020
    0
    What happened to this band? I didn’t like a brief inquire as well as the first 2 albums but this one is by far the worst album they’ve released. An instrumental every other song? The first part of the album sucks and the end of the album sucks. The middle is ok, I feel so let down....
  9. LBthaLedge
    May 22, 2020
    1
    There’s no pacing, there’s no flow, the musical interludes add nothing and are way way way too frequent and on the songs that there’s actual singing the songwriting is bad and the instrumentals are nothing special, the dance tracks don’t fit at all, the album doesn’t flow from track to track at all I feel like I’ve just pressed shuffle on a playlist. And god the interludes every otherThere’s no pacing, there’s no flow, the musical interludes add nothing and are way way way too frequent and on the songs that there’s actual singing the songwriting is bad and the instrumentals are nothing special, the dance tracks don’t fit at all, the album doesn’t flow from track to track at all I feel like I’ve just pressed shuffle on a playlist. And god the interludes every other track theres a **** interlude it’s so **** bloated they are needless I am so disappointed, the production is so **** bare bones and boring it hurts. The best track here is easily nothing revealed/everything denied and even that can’t stand up to the best tracks from their last album like GYAT. The worst track out of the actual vocal tracks here, of which there are about like 11, is don’t worry because it’s slow boring and the production is weak. I would genuinly give this a 1-2/10 and I went in liking the bands pervious music.… Expand
  10. francisco10
    May 23, 2020
    10
    The 1975 are not afraid to experiment. Throughout this album, you can hear pop, punk, eletronic, 80s pop-rock, orchestral pieces and everything you can imagine. Expect the unexpected. The 1975 have the best albums out there and this one is no different. Personally, it's my favourite album by the band and one of the best ones ever released. The critics gave it poor numbers because they areThe 1975 are not afraid to experiment. Throughout this album, you can hear pop, punk, eletronic, 80s pop-rock, orchestral pieces and everything you can imagine. Expect the unexpected. The 1975 have the best albums out there and this one is no different. Personally, it's my favourite album by the band and one of the best ones ever released. The critics gave it poor numbers because they are afraid of what's different from mainstream. Really, if you want an album that is all about feelings and not really sounds, there you go! The 1975 did THAT again.… Expand
  11. alee1257
    May 22, 2020
    10
    Its beautiful chaos. Notes on a conditional form is some of the best work that they have done. Each instrumental gives you an opportunity is digest the album as it goes along navigating through genre after genre with that 1975 take.
  12. georgiawoodley7
    May 25, 2020
    10
    the first listen is a lot, as this album has a lot to say... but damn it only gets better every time
  13. clarasacramento
    May 22, 2020
    10
    Talented. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Show stopping. Spectacular. Never be the same. Totally unique. Completely not ever been done before.
  14. xuli
    May 22, 2020
    10
    The "lack of purpose" is the most personal, honest and pure trait of the album. This is about what modernity really is, they know about it and somehow they found a way to "embrace it" through the hole concept of the album. I'm speechless. This is pure art.
  15. Tahatma
    May 22, 2020
    3
    Disappointing to say the least. As a MASSIVE fan, this album comes across as completely misguided. The guys have been living in the same house with a recording studio, together, for the entire process of this album. And my god, does it feel like it. It feels like it's been overworked and overworked until the record label told them they HAD to get it out. Matty has said in multipleDisappointing to say the least. As a MASSIVE fan, this album comes across as completely misguided. The guys have been living in the same house with a recording studio, together, for the entire process of this album. And my god, does it feel like it. It feels like it's been overworked and overworked until the record label told them they HAD to get it out. Matty has said in multiple interviews that the reason for the delay previous to now (a year from the original release date) was due to "adding more stuff" to the songs. Again--you can tell. I feel like I'm drowning in the production on this album. Like they said "well, the songs are **** but we can just add enough tracks that no one can tell!
    This is the sound of exhausted, overworked, creatively spent, depressed musicians with no one from the record label there to say "Matty, I think you've done enough." There are simply not enough good songs to justify the mass amount of bloated, over-sampled filler on this album.    … Expand
  16. Lucymccourt
    May 22, 2020
    0
    One big fat ego reflecting and boosting release. Jam packed full of instrumental filler and auto tune. All with the goal of sounding deep and motivational but just ends up falling flat on its face, not like that matters because Matty Healy could literally release an album of silence and his cult like fanbase would still call it ‘art’
  17. reviewshere
    May 22, 2020
    10
    The 1975 somehow cover a myriad of genres, and cover them well. Moving through heavy rock, garage, country, dance, and folk music, this eclectic album somehow offers a range of huge ideas without feeling overly cluttered and overwhelming. The enormous track listing may appear over blown and bloated, it's necessary to explore the ideas that rattle around in Healy's head. All of this beforeThe 1975 somehow cover a myriad of genres, and cover them well. Moving through heavy rock, garage, country, dance, and folk music, this eclectic album somehow offers a range of huge ideas without feeling overly cluttered and overwhelming. The enormous track listing may appear over blown and bloated, it's necessary to explore the ideas that rattle around in Healy's head. All of this before the production. Just wow. George Daniel has truly outdone himself, displaying why he's one of the most exciting and versatile producers around.

    Stick about. There's more this band have to offer.    … Expand
  18. vwoum
    May 23, 2020
    10
    Excellent “album”...body of work. Diverse, masterful and huge production. So many notable influences summing to beautiful originality. I’ll spend a lot of time with this album
  19. BrushedRed
    May 22, 2020
    8
    Really not understanding what everyone is having a problem with here. I've been listening to these guys since their very first EP, and I've found some of their music enjoyable, but sometimes they were kinda strange. I couldn't say I ever enjoyed a single one of their albums in its entirety, but they always had decent songs scattered about. Strangely, I can say, for once, I actually like aReally not understanding what everyone is having a problem with here. I've been listening to these guys since their very first EP, and I've found some of their music enjoyable, but sometimes they were kinda strange. I couldn't say I ever enjoyed a single one of their albums in its entirety, but they always had decent songs scattered about. Strangely, I can say, for once, I actually like a 1975 album in its entirety now.

    This is a lot more all over the place and eclectic than any of their prior work and that's an aspect that I feel should be respected, and all of their cooky experiments really seem to actually work here. I loved all the future garage tracks (I believe there were 5), as I saw that to be one of the stronger aspects of Online Relationships, which, unfortunately, included only one future garage track. Speaking of which, despite the reviews and scores I've seen, I find this to be WAY better than that album was.

    Maybe I'm strange or whatever, but I really found this to be their best collections of songs yet, and one I think should actually be worthy of praise... and, yet, here with are without any praise    … Expand
  20. NatanAmadio
    May 22, 2020
    7
    Not on Brief Inquiry level but still good.. i feel like the more i hear, the best it turns
  21. Lukejst
    May 22, 2020
    9
    Goes off in so many different directions and there really is a song for everybody on this album. Personally for me it features some of the best work they have done, along with some randomness, but thats what you have to expect with The 1975!
  22. Projectmayhem
    May 22, 2020
    5
    At this point in time I’ve listened to the entire “The 1975” catalogue, with 2016’s I Like It When You Sleep being one of my all time favorite albums. Notes On A Conditional Form is unlike every other album the band has made in that a quarter of the tracks aren’t needed and it makes the album feel bloated and longer than it needs to be. Songs like “Yeah I know” and “Shiny Collarbone” areAt this point in time I’ve listened to the entire “The 1975” catalogue, with 2016’s I Like It When You Sleep being one of my all time favorite albums. Notes On A Conditional Form is unlike every other album the band has made in that a quarter of the tracks aren’t needed and it makes the album feel bloated and longer than it needs to be. Songs like “Yeah I know” and “Shiny Collarbone” are great beats with lackluster feeing (even by 1975 standards) with one line repeated over and over. Ambient Interludes or instrumentals have been a 1975 staple but, in the past those interludes felt needed to convey feeling or connect 2 songs but on this album most of them feel like they were made just to be made, to fill the album out. The album feels rushed or it leaves you with that feeling because it’s all over the place, lacking direction of what the album wants to be. Most of the singles including “The Birthday Party” (probably my favorite song of theirs on any album) and “If You’re Too Shy” are true hits but the rest of the album doesn’t standout from those initial singles. This leaves me with the feeling that a quarter of the album could of been scrapped and it should of been 13-14 songs. The intro track “The 1975” does not start the album well for me. It’s a speech from Greta Thunberg about the fallout of the global warming crisis we’re all facing. I’m a huge advocate for the environment but it just doesn’t seem to fit the album or feel right to start the album with Greta’s long winded speech. When replaying the album I often skip this track, track 2 “People” and track 3 “The End” It just feels like it’s not the right start, starting the album instead on track 4 “Frail State of Mind”. Some tracks show promise and push the band in a new direction like “Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied” a brutally honest slow rap that has a great gospel-like chorus but again it feels out of place when listening to the 2 or 3 tracks before it and the tracks after it “Tonight” and “Shiny Collarbone” 2 tracks I feel weren't needed at all.

    I feel like this album either should of been worked on longer with more thought put into the direction and the message they wanted to convey or I could also see the album being released earlier with 7-9 less songs with what happened being that they just kept adding songs because they made them. The album has some great songs but it’s just not cohesive with the others. In the past, The 1975 have created albums that everyone should listen to because of how well they produce, how great they are at stringing songs together track to track and their ability to convey important messages. Whether it be about coming of age or the social anxieties we all face including ones with technology. I don’t feel like this album is good enough to say that about. 5/10    … Expand
  23. Ben_Ross
    May 22, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The singles were so good! What happened?!?!? There is a lot of filler (which is unnecessary because there are 22 songs, which means that there is room scrap some things) I was kinda bored while listening to the album. And NOTHING IS COHESIVE!! don’t get me wrong! I really enjoy about half of the album, I just think they should’ve spent a little bit more time on this project because there are some really good songs... like all of the singles. So yeah, 5/10.… Expand
  24. Eldritchard
    May 22, 2020
    1
    Pretentious, convoluted mess of an album. Could’ve been trimmed to a promising EP.
  25. ohwhatsthis3
    May 22, 2020
    9
    Although it isn’t my favorite album by the 1975, I still think this album is a very good album. I loved every song on the album except the opener and Shiny Collarbone. Although the band has changed a lot stylistically/sound-wise, I still think they are doing it in an enjoyable fashion. If you’re someone that doesn’t enjoy albums that aren’t like their past albums, then I can tell you thatAlthough it isn’t my favorite album by the 1975, I still think this album is a very good album. I loved every song on the album except the opener and Shiny Collarbone. Although the band has changed a lot stylistically/sound-wise, I still think they are doing it in an enjoyable fashion. If you’re someone that doesn’t enjoy albums that aren’t like their past albums, then I can tell you that you might not enjoy a lot of this album. The band took a risky leap, and I think that they landed perfectly with flying colors. I think that this album is the perfect ending to the “Music for Cars” era. I was so excited for this album, despite having 6 delays, there was nothing that could stop me from being as excited as I was. It exceeded my expectations. I like the way the bands sound changed. And to talk about the point about it being “pretentious” and “showing a big ego”, I really don’t see how it is pretentious or egotistical. It is a tiny bit pretentious, but nowhere near as pretentious as a lot of people are acting like it is. And I don’t find it egotistical at all. Overall, I liked the production of the album as a whole. Also listening to The Birthday Party on the actual album made me appreciate the song more. It was my least favorite single, but now I love the song. I don’t really know what else to say besides in my honest opinion this is my favorite album of 2020 so far, and I’m sure it won’t be topped.… Expand
  26. kint
    May 23, 2020
    3
    a lauded attempt but misses the target massively. at its best, the material here is just passable, at its worst, it's boring. the six minute time fodder 'having no head' is three minutes of nothing, and then a build up into some of the most cliche electronica i've ever sat through, it's the type of thing autechre would be embarrassed to have passed in a bowel movement.

    the essentials    a lauded attempt but misses the target massively. at its best, the material here is just passable, at its worst, it's boring. the six minute time fodder 'having no head' is three minutes of nothing, and then a build up into some of the most cliche electronica i've ever sat through, it's the type of thing autechre would be embarrassed to have passed in a bowel movement.

    the essentials off this album are 'people', 'guys', 'me & you together song', 'if you're too shy (let me know)' and 'playing on my mind': you can skip the rest. frail state of mind' is fine for what it is but an awful foreshadowing of about 40 percent of this record (droning, dull electronica)

    too many directionless instrumentals, too many cul-de sac songs that lead you nowhere and far too self-indulgent. matty healy may think he's rock's new jesus, but this album will leave you twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the crucifixion.    … Expand
  27. Lorso
    Jun 4, 2020
    7
    I might rate the album a point higher (or more) if it had omitted track one. I am, generally, conflicted re statement-making in child-voice... given that, if the statement is worth making, there should be adults courageous enough to make it. (i.e., Why recruit a child, who’s incomplete personal growth demands the freedom and possibility of change?)

    Otherwise, I confess to a slight bias    I might rate the album a point higher (or more) if it had omitted track one. I am, generally, conflicted re statement-making in child-voice... given that, if the statement is worth making, there should be adults courageous enough to make it. (i.e., Why recruit a child, who’s incomplete personal growth demands the freedom and possibility of change?)

    Otherwise, I confess to a slight bias against high-tenor/soprano male vocals... if only because I can’t sing along.    … Expand
  28. Ricko
    Aug 26, 2020
    6
    You can't fault The 1975 for ambition. I have to say, this is a decent enough listen, swinging from spoken word, to light industrial rock, from pseudo classical to straight up electro pop. For all its pomp and grandeur, it is questionable whether the album actually achieves anything and its certainly not as good as the band almost certainly thinks it is. The band spends minimal time onYou can't fault The 1975 for ambition. I have to say, this is a decent enough listen, swinging from spoken word, to light industrial rock, from pseudo classical to straight up electro pop. For all its pomp and grandeur, it is questionable whether the album actually achieves anything and its certainly not as good as the band almost certainly thinks it is. The band spends minimal time on particular ideas without developing them satisfactorily. It isn't bad at all but Coldplay's "Everyday Life" from last year is a superior version of what is attempted here.… Expand
  29. MCotsalas
    Jan 7, 2022
    3
    A few decent songs among the bunch, which is too bad because the album is essentially 3/4 filler. They took the sound and concept of TOOTIME, possibly the band's worst song in their entire catalog, and made an album with it. Hopefully if they release a new album in the future they can move away from this computerized mess.
  30. cspencere
    May 24, 2021
    10
    An unbelievably beautiful and transcendent musical experience. It took a few listens to fully grasp but even off of the first one the vibes are immaculate; classic, but evolved, in terms of what we associate with the band's sound. A truly important piece of The 1975's discography and possibly their magnum opus. Only time will tell. I can't wait to see what the rest of their career has inAn unbelievably beautiful and transcendent musical experience. It took a few listens to fully grasp but even off of the first one the vibes are immaculate; classic, but evolved, in terms of what we associate with the band's sound. A truly important piece of The 1975's discography and possibly their magnum opus. Only time will tell. I can't wait to see what the rest of their career has in store because they always seem to one-up themselves.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed Album of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 28
  3. Negative: 2 out of 28
  1. The Observer (UK)
    Aug 3, 2020
    60
    A Brief Inquiry is a hard album to top, and Notes is, perhaps, the most disjointed and unclassifiable of the 1975’s works. It serves best, perhaps, as a long and intermittently lovely outro to that defining record.
    Read full review
  2. No Ripcord
    Jun 16, 2020
    60
    Notes on a Conditional Form is a fantastic 12 track, 45-minute album. It’s just a shame that The 1975 decided to make it into a 22 track, 80 minute one. There’s certainly enough going on to recommend repeat listens, but the quality level waxes and wanes so much throughout that it won’t take you too long to find your favorites and start returning to just those.
    Read full review
  3. Beats Per Minute
    May 27, 2020
    77
    The diversity is so vast and so well done that it’s almost commendable. Mainly though, it’s just a bit much for one sitting, and instead feels more like you’re listening to The 1975 radio on Spotify.
    Read full review
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