Sometimes great music comes to you from the most unexpected places. When I think of One Direction, I am usually turned off. Boy band. Pop sugar. Blech! It's never been my thing. That being said, I have been keeping an ear on the solo efforts of the band's members and for the most part I've been impressed. Niall Haron's latest, Too Much to Ask, is a beautiful ballad, I love Liam Payne's work with Zedd on Get Low and his own Strip That Down, and yeah Luis Tomlinson's Back to You is pretty good, too! As for Zayn, for whatever reason I've just not found anything...yet...from his music that's called to me. And then there's Harry Styles.
Gaining access to a wide variety of new music at an affordable price is the biggest benefit I've gotten from joining Spotify as a premium member, and when Harry's Sign of the Times, from his debut eponymous solo album came out, my interest was piqued. Back in May, when the album was released, I checked it out...and absolutely loved it!
Harry Styles, the album, is a collection of ten tracks that are anything but pop sugar. In fact, if I were to classify the album by genre, I would say it's a lot like a great 70's rock record. The styles of the songs are varied, from upbeat to melancholy and everywhere in between. There's not a song on the record I dislike, and throughout the life of the album, I've been turning people on to it with good results.
With the U.S. leg of his tour in full swing, I thought that now might be a good time to review the record, something I'd been thinking about doing for awhile. He's coming to NYC in a little over a week, and if I didn't have another engagement that evening, I would surely brave all the screaming teen girls to go check him out. Ah well, maybe next time. Anyway, here's my take on all of the tracks on Harry Styles...
Meet Me in the Hallway
The serious tone of much of the record begins with this acoustic and melancholy piece that speaks of someone who's been jilted by someone, yet would jump back in a heartbeat. The melody is haunting and the vocals in the verses and the chorus evoke both the sadness and desperation of the abandoned lover. Check out the audio of this track here.
Sign of the Times
Styles' debut single is another melancholic masterpiece. This one reminds me of something the Beatles might have done in their later years, or perhaps early Elton John. Styles revealed that the song is about a young mother who is told she only has moments to live due to complications of childbirth. Woof! The multi-genre tune was a smash for the young singer and deservedly so. It's still one of my favorites on the album. Check it out...
The serious tone of much of the record begins with this acoustic and melancholy piece that speaks of someone who's been jilted by someone, yet would jump back in a heartbeat. The melody is haunting and the vocals in the verses and the chorus evoke both the sadness and desperation of the abandoned lover. Check out the audio of this track here.
Sign of the Times
Styles' debut single is another melancholic masterpiece. This one reminds me of something the Beatles might have done in their later years, or perhaps early Elton John. Styles revealed that the song is about a young mother who is told she only has moments to live due to complications of childbirth. Woof! The multi-genre tune was a smash for the young singer and deservedly so. It's still one of my favorites on the album. Check it out...
Carolina
The record picks up in tempo on the third track, Carolina. This psychadelic jammer is straight out of the 70's and was supposedly written for a beautiful young lady with whom Harry once had an apparently memorable blind date with. Take a listen to Carolina here.
Two Ghosts
We're not who we used to be
We're not who we used to be
We're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me
Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat
The fourth track is an easy breezy acoustic gem that's thoughtful and reflective. The album's second single has been compared to the likes of Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Bread, The Allman Brothers, and even the Rolling Stones. Perhaps it's just a wonderful mish-mosh of all of these influences, and it's s good. Check out a live, studio performance of the song...
Sweet Creature
Sweet Creature was a promotional single released just ahead of the album and this acoustic folk tune is simply sweet. Check out the song on John's Music World Song of the Day from May 30th.
Only Angel
The sixth track off the album is one of two up tempo rock tracks. The tune starts off with an, um, ethereal and 'angelic' intro before kicking into overdrive with nice guitar riffs and hard driving vocals. Great tune! Check out the audio of Only Angel here.
Kiwi
The hardest rocking tune on the record has had people speculating that Styles has a secret child with a New Zealander. Hmmm!!! This one is fast-paced and hard driving and exemplifies the variety and range of genres found on this wonderful album. Check out a performance of the tune right here.
Ever Since New York
Oh, tell me something I don't already know
My favorite tune in the set is simply brilliant. The arrangements, the lyrics, the soft guitars, and the beautiful vocals. Love, love, love! I posted this video of him performing the song on the Today Show and it's definitely worth another look and listen...
Woman
The ninth track off the album is admittedly my least favorite, though it's still pretty darned good. It's a slow moving, dramatic rock ballad that's reminiscent, to me, of something Prince might have done. Check out the audio of Woman right here.
From the Dining Table
Harry closes the marvelous set much the way he opened it, with a melancholic ballad that Inquisitir's Kim McLendon compares to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain on his Unplugged performance of Where Did You Sleep Last Night? The comparison is not far off, surprisingly, and it just goes to show you the incredible range of Styles' style on this album. From the Dining Table is simply a beautiful and thought-provoking way to finish this stellar debut album that has made me a bona fide fan. Check it out right here.
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