Yes, this is indeed a Harry Styles album review. No, I was not a One Direction fan by any definition. But Harry’s album is generally classed as soft-rock, and therefore it just about falls under my radar.
I was actually pleasantly surprised when I first gave this album a listen in May 2017. The soft boy with curly hair had suddenly evolved into a grungy, mature young man. His voice, now husky and hypnotic, reminds me a little of the voice of Alex Turner, Arctic Monkey’s frontman, only without the distinctive Sheffield twang.
‘Meet Me in the Hallway’ provides a bright, acoustic introduction to the album. The lyrics remain ambiguous throughout, and suggest that Styles was inspired by a personal event with a love interest. It’s a solid first song, with a funky bass riff and a clean sound. One issue (?) that I’ve picked up is that the line in this song that goes “Just let me know I’ll be out the door…” sounds an awful lot like the line “We never learn, we’ve been here before…” in ‘Sign of the Times’, the second song on the album. Perhaps this was intentional, connecting the two songs to create a sense of continuation, but it is rather strange to hear two very similar lines in two separate songs.
That said, ‘Sign of the Times’ is a great song. Incredibly unique, dynamic, and highly poetic. Its only downside is that it could be considered slightly repetitive, with a very simple and regular beat, but this functions as the build-up for the song’s spectacular climax in the final minute. This final minute sends Harry’s vocals soaring to impressive heights, concluding the song in a way that leaves a real impression on the listener.
‘Carolina’ is a sexy song with a groovy arrangement of instruments. It’s about a girl from Carolina, believe it or not, and the verses consist of affectionate descriptions of her character. Unfortunately, I find the chorus boring, repetitive, and comparatively void of substance. I am aware that choruses are generally kept simple and repetitive, in order to be catchy and easy to remember, but Harry takes this concept a bit too far. “She’s a good girl” is all that I learn from the chorus. The bridge of the song is even worse; it consists purely of “lalala”s. The sixth song in the album, ‘Only Angel’ is disappointingly similar to ‘Carolina’. It has the same grungy sexiness, but unfortunately also has the same overly simple chorus (“She’s an angel, only angel…”). Luckily, these two average-rating songs sandwich two rather wonderful songs.
‘Two Ghosts’ is sombre and relatable, with a twangy electric guitar riff that introduces the song and returns after the first chorus, continuing into a guitar solo after the second chorus. The lyrics are very poetic, heavy with metaphors that perfectly capture the melancholy atmosphere of the song. For some reason, the whole song reminds me of warm pubs in quaint towns by the seaside... Is that just me?
‘Sweet Creature’ is another wonderful song. Somewhat similar in structure to ‘Sign of the Times’, the acoustic ballad written for sister features heart-warming lyrics and another vocally climactic ending. I’m not personally fond of the title once you know that it is being used as a term of endearment. I find it strangely nauseating, and calling your sister a ‘creature’ seems a bit strange, but overall the song is definitely worth listening to (and learning on guitar!).
‘Kiwi’ is a classic rock track, again about a woman. I find the lyrics in this song somewhat odd; they certainly aren’t to my taste. ‘Ever Since New York’ is a slower rock troubadour, but by this point in the album it becomes tiresome to hear another song about a love interest. Harry should really have expanded the focus of his lyrics, especially in the last few tracks on the album (which are allowed to be more abstract and experimental than the spotlighted songs) as it is noticeable halfway through the album that the content is rather restricted. The next song is called ‘Woman’… Really, Harry? ‘From the Dining Table’ is a sweet, acoustic conclusion to the album, but yet again, the subject content is drearily similar to the other melancholic songs.
Overall, it’s a decent first album from the ex-boy-band star. ‘Sign of the Times’ and ‘Sweet Creature’ stand out as two beautiful and rather ground-breaking songs within the ballad genre. The album is raw, sensual and poetic. However, it is let down by its limited subject content. Every song is a love song, and love songs are the easiest lyrics to write, in my opinion. Is it Apollo Approved? ...Yes, but barely. The few really great songs on this album just manage to make up for those tracks that are merely “ok”, and for the limitations of the lyrical content.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more music reviews.
