Dirty Hit super stars The 1975 shared a spare, tender track titled “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” Friday. The track features guest vocals from Phoebe Bridgers, who was meant to support The 1975 on their Spring tour starting later this April. The tour has since been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
“Jesus Christ” will be featured on Notes on a Conditional Form, the second of three albums in their “Music for Cars” cycle. It’s the follow-up to 2018’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, a mega-successful indie rock album that spurred the expansive 16-month Music For Cars Tour.
The song sounds particularly stripped among the maximalist pop sheen and raucous pop punk sheen of previous Notes singles, but the group continues to explore the early 2000s sounds they’ve clearly been influenced by. “Jesus Christ” has a clear nod to Bright Eyes, with some Death Cab and Snow Patrol thrown in for good measure. It’s a sweet, easy listen, with sentimental guitars and romantic horns. The track really shines once Bridgers’ aching voice is introduced, singing “I’m in love with the girl next door / Her name is Claire.” There’s a matter-of-fact delivery to the otherwise mushy material, an aspect often derided of similar indie fare from the mid-2000s. It feels like a sweet throwback.
You can check out the track below. Notes on a Conditional Form is out later this year on May 22. Further down, revisit Phoebe Bridgers’ 2017 Paste Studio session.
