Opening track that calls attention to itself
The 1975’s maximalist pop rock messily fuses disparate musical elements and lyrics that jump from sincere to self‑aware, with meta commentary and abundant pop culture references. And so, natural fodder for a pop culture column pointing out the links between vaguely related things. The obvious place to start is frontman Matty Healy, whose parents are known to many as acting’s Tim Healy (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and Denise Welch (Coronation Street).
Tell me something I didn’t know
It’s not possible to think of Corrie without instantly being earwormed by the theme tune. The music was composed in 1960 by Eric Spear. In 2010, it was re-recorded with trumpeter Christopher Deacon flexing his pipes on that famous cornet solo.
A brief inquiry into celebrity relationships
Deacon’s credits include performing on the score to the interesting if flawed Steve Jobs biopic, which earned Michael Fassbender his second Oscar nomination in 2016. At that ceremony, Alicia Vikander won best supporting actress, and a year later, Fassbender and Vikander got married. Well, isn’t life just dandy for the Vikanders?
Being French in a foreign language
This summer saw Olivier Assayas and Vikander take a meta turn in Irma Vep, a miniseries about a Hollywood star making an ill-fated French TV series, updating the director’s film from the 1990s about remaking a silent film from the 1910s. It’s fun, and with good-looking people larking around Paris, what’s not to like? Though if you’ve seen Assayas’s 1996 version, it may feel slightly pointless. Lars Eidinger steals the show as an outrageous, crack-smoking actor. Previously he appeared in another French master’s foray into English-language film-making, Claire Denis’s High Life. Denis’s second English movie, Stars at Noon, featuring Margaret Qualley, is out this month.
I’d love it if we made it (to the end of this week’s Rabbit Hole)
Qualley, excellent in Netflix miniseries Maid, recently seemed to announce her engagement to music super producer Jack Antonoff, who you’ll know from, well, everything, since he has worked with Taylor Swift, St Vincent, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Clairo … He also co‑produced Being Funny in a Foreign Language, the new 1975 album, which landed yesterday.
Pairing notes
Listen Matty Healy cites Mike Skinner as a major influence. The Streets’ debut, Original Pirate Material, is now 20 years old, yet still sounds fresh. Bear witness to some amazing feats.
Drink On recent single Part of the Band, Healy sings archly, “I like my men like I like my coffee / Full of soy milk and so sweet … ” Soy latte with a bang of Hermesetas it is then.
