In the golden era of rock and roll, originality was the only true goal for an honorable musician. But now, when the Beatles have lost their dominance over pop, the few bands that still thrive seem compelled to retell the story of music, to keep the tradition alive. For them, the illusion of reinvention is just a frivolous obsession, and the true aim is simply to produce great music. 

Many artists might fit this description, but among the most ambitious are Britain’s the 1975, who offer up expertly crafted pop songs, each in a tightly packaged, discrete style: acid jazz, Huey Lewis synth anthems, ’90s grunge, emo ballads, garage punk, auto-tuned experiments, et cetera—though not so many nods to the ’70s as their name would suggest. Their influences are transparent, which seems to be their point. They collage genres like other artists arrange chords, evoking subcultures, fashion, and ideologies as needed. For the 1975, nostalgic satisfaction is the Trojan horse that sneaks subversion into the mainstream.