Music for Cars

In January 2012,[1] the 1975 was formed by lead singer Matty Healy, drummer George Daniel, guitarist Adam Hann and bassist Ross MacDonald, who had played music together since 2002. After being rejected by all major record labels, artist manager Jamie Osborne discovered the band and signed them to his label Dirty Hit.[2] The 1975 began a process of releasing three extended plays (EP) leading to their debut album.[3] In August of 2012, the band released their debut EP, Facedown, to critical success.[2][4] In November 2012, the 1975 released their second EP, Sex.[5]

The 1975 developed a working relationship with producer Mike Crossey during the recording of Sex.[2] Crossey was initially tentative in his approach; Healy told to magazine Some Kind of Awesome that the producer was empathetic toward the band, having understood their hesitancy toward producing music in a different manner.[6] Crossey suggested they co-produce the music and worked with the 1975 during a week of pre-production in their studio.[2][6] The band were inspired by soundtracks from 1980s films and sought to incorporate those elements into The 1975, with Crossey commenting they were "pretty unashamed about wanting a song like 'Chocolate' to be a smash hit".[2] Healy credits the producer with vitalising the creative process and bringing an enhanced technical understanding to the recording of the album.[6]

After completing their work on The 1975, the band "came straight out of the studio" and recorded Music for Cars back at Rose Cottage in Cheshire.[6][7] Rather than working chronologically, the majority of the material on the EP's were created after finishing the 1975's debut album. For their third EP, the band chose to build the record around "Chocolate" in order to "take a part of the story and embellish it even further". Regarding this decision, the singer felt it was critical to create a foundation for listeners to understand their sound.[1] The 1975 recorded the EP's "ambient leftfield-type music" by themselves in Healy's bedroom; Crossey viewed it as an important aspect of the 1975's identity, saying: "We really wanted to incorporate all these elements and strike a good balance."[2][8] During the recording of Music for Cars, the band strove to deliver a cohesive concept, treating it as an EP rather than "an EP that has a single on it, a remix, and acoustic or a live version on it".[1][9] Following its completion, Healy said: "I'm really proud of this record, I think we all are. I think it's one EP that's been written more as an EP than anything else."[9]

Music for Cars consists of five songs, written by Daniel, Healy, Hann and MacDonald. The band handled the EP's production while co-producing "Chocolate" with Crossey. Musically, it is categorised as an electronic, ambient and experimental record.[10][11] Lauri Hiltunen of PopMatters described Music for Cars as a mixture of "cinematic soundscapes and a more traditional band format"; with the exception of "Chocolate", the remaining four tracks "take a far more atmospheric, electronic, and often even ambient approach".[10] The Rolling Stone editorial staff similarly commented that the EP "wrap[s] two pop anthems inside a trio of hazy, atmospheric journeys".[12]

"Anobrain", an experimental-influenced ambient song with a cinematic tone and ethereal voices, opens Music for Cars.[10][12][11] The second track, "Chocolate", is a pop, rock,[13] funk[14] and alt-rock song that incorporates sharp and bright guitar notes, rapid-fire vocal hooks and elements of stadium rock.[10][15][16] The track's title serves as a euphemism for marijuana; the lyrics detail smoking the drug in his hometown with friends, resulting in an encounter with the police.[17] Containing a cinematic tone, "HNSCC" is an ambient interlude.[10][11] The song's expansive production contains chattering birds,[18] ethereal voices, a reverb-heavy guitar, synth tones and elements of shoegaze.[12][11][19] The title is an abbreviation of head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma, which caused the death of Healy's grandmother prior to the recording of Music for Cars. Speaking about the track, Healy said it was impacted by "the fact that something you have no control over can really mess with the dynamics of people's lives".[18]

The experimental-influenced "Head.Cars.Bending" is a mid-tempo electronic,[20] pop and synth-pop[10] song that contains elements of R&B and glitch music.[12][21][22] The track is built upon a skittering instrumentation composed of synth claps, clattering syncopation, "angelic" vocal harmonies, pulsing rhythms, cloud rap beats and brostep bass drops.[10][12][19] "Head.Cars.Bending" opens with distantly resonating percussive breaks and a "dreamy" synth, later adding ripples of guitar and surging bass to its melody,[22] while the bridge utilises R&B vocals.[20] The final song on Music for Cars, "Me", is an ambient and synth-pop ballad that features "wistful" and ethereal vocals and a subtle 1980s-style saxophone solo.[10][12][23] The track's lyrics are written as a letter from a future-version of Healy; the singer confesses the guilt experienced from his suicidal ideations, while also addressing his role in the dissolution of his family, specifically the divorce of his parents.[24]

Music for Cars was officially released by Dirty Hit, Polydor Records and Vagrant Records on 4 March 2013.[7][16] Hiltunen praised the more-overtly electronic sound of Music for Cars in comparison to the 1975's prior EPs. The writer commented that, while "Chocolate" was the record's "obvious main attraction", the remaining four songs are more exciting, saying "it feels like it’s here that [t]he 1975 finally show their cards and give the listener a reason to start paying attention to them".[10] Rolling Stone deemed "Chocolate" and "Head.Cars.Bending" as highlights from Music for Cars, commending the EP's balance of pop "anthems" with atmospheric tracks.[12] Lauding the record's balance of "artsy leanings" and "grandiose anthems" in his review for the Chicago Reader, Leor Galil said "it's especially impressive how they move between those two poles while consistently sounding like the same group". Galil also declared "Head.Cars.Bending" a standout from the EP, along with "HNSCC".[19] Venture Mag's Helen Whittle awarded the record a score of 7 out of 10; she deemed "Chocolate" and "Head.Cars.Bending" the highlights from the set, which she commented is "possibly too experimental", while also saying: "The 1975 bring an honest, fresh sound to alternative pop and it's certain that their album will be highly anticipated."[11]

Credits adapted from Music for Cars EP liner notes.[7]

The 1975

• George Daniel – programming, drums, synthesizer
• Matthew Healy – guitar, piano, vocals
• Adam Hann – guitar
• Ross MacDonald – bass guitar

Production

• The 1975 – production, mixing
• Mike Crossey – production (track 2)
• Robin Schmidt – mastering

• The 1975 discography
• List of songs by Matty Healy