If you miss the bright, sexy sound of mid-’80s Duran Duran and INXS, you can revisit the vibe in the form of the British band The 1975.
There are the same boxy snare drums, gleaming choked guitar riffs lifted from Chic, and a hint of eyeliner in the keyboards. The band’s 2016 record, which has a really long title, was one of the many notable releases that achieved success this year without first being available on Spotify, proof to watchers of the music biz that consumers will still pay for an eagerly awaited album.
Frontman Matty Healy (pictured) — his hair rules! — and his bandmates could almost look like a perfect music-industry creation, something harvested from a reality show, like One Direction, but the 1975 crew were all buds in high school. This is pop with extra emotional vulnerability and real friendships cementing it.
The 1975 plays Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. $35 to $269. 860-226-7711 and mohegansun.com.
