Release Date: May 20
Genre: Synthpop / Psychedelic Pop / Pop Rock / Indie Pop
Singer, songwriter, pop star and former One Direction member Harry Styles has returned with his third studio album: Harry's House. Over the past few years, when compared to the other members of One Direction, Harry has done the best at giving us a successful solo career. Multiple #1 albums, chart topping singles, star studded collaborations, even film appearances... Harry has built quite a name for himself. Hell, the lead single for this album, "As It Was," broke the record for most Spotify streams within 24 hours from a male artist. That kind of record breaking statistic can only come from someone with his kind of staying power.
Here are my thoughts on Harry's music. I think Harry does a pretty good job at mixing pop, rock and singer-songwriter music. He has some great ballads and bops under his belt, but I don't think I've consistently loved a project of his. I do like his past two albums, but I wouldn't say that I was blown away by them. I do have a soft spot for Harry, however, as he is one of my fiancée's favorite artist. In fact, the first time I heard Harry's House was with her, which was a pretty special moment. After that first listen, I remember enjoying it pretty well, but considering we listened to it as it was playing through the loud speaker on her phone while we were driving, it was difficult to tell what exactly my thoughts were. Now, with a few more listens under my belt, I can safely say that Harry has, once again, given us a pretty good pop album, while also being his most sonically diverse and experimental project yet. It certainly has issues, but I found the overall experience to be pretty enjoyable. Let's talk about why.
The album kicks off with "Music For a Sushi Restaurant," which is an absolute bop. It starts off with a sexy little guitar lick that slowly builds into this chorus of vocals acting as the center of the song. The quiet verse/loud chorus structure works very well here, as the bass gives a great build of suspense in the verses, only to build into this glorious jam of horn samples. It's infectiously catchy, and Harry gives us some of his most charismatic vocals on the entire project. He even scats, and it's awesome.
"Late Night Talking" slows things down a little bit, giving us a bouncy keyboard melody with a tone that I haven't really ever heard in a pop song. It's a sweet love ballad with a 70s pop pastiche. The chorus is great, and anytime I listen to it, I can't help bobbing my head along. If "Music For a Sushi Restaurant" is the grand introduction into Harry's House, then "Late Night Talking" is bringing you to the couch with a glass of wine so that you can have, well, a late night conversation. It's quite nice.
"Grapejuice" is a song that has grown on me more and more since my first listen. This is a beautiful track. I love how crystal clear and plain the piano is, as the added guitars and drums sound so odd. It's a strange combination of tones, but it comes together to give us a really sweet sounding song. It has some of my favorite production on the entire album, and I really like the sentiment of the lyrics, where Harry realizes that life is better with this person. It's great. Also, I love the guitar lick that closes out the song. It's so tasty.
Then we have the big single "As It Was." Upon my first listen, I thought the song was just okay. Sure, it was catchy and had some nice production, but it sounded pretty bland to me. Over time, I have warmed up quite a bit to the track. It's a charming and fun bedroom pop song with a sticky piano melody, a great hook and a solid progression. Plus, the bells that lead into the final chorus are great. They make me feel like I'm in church on Christmas morning. This is certainly not my favorite single of his, but it is quite good.
"Daylight" is fine. The weird keyboard tune is pretty cool and the chorus is nice, but the production does handicap this one. The verse melody is awkwardly paced, as the swing of the beat clashes with the instrumentation. The chorus is pretty repetitive and uninteresting, and those climactic rock anthem crashes don't leave as strong of an impact as they deserve, as the mixing and mastering holds it back. It really needs a big and powerful mix for such a grand display of instrumentation.
Now "Little Freak" might be one of the most drab song on the album. I like some of Harry's ballads, but this is one of his weakest. The vocals are way too hot in the mix, as all of the other instrumentation is buried underneath the wall of cluttered, reverb-heavy harmonies. The chord progression is dull, especially when it's lead by keyboards, and the added bits of percussion and guitar don't add much to the song as a whole. The chorus is nice, but that's really the biggest positive I have for this song.
"Matilda," on the other hand, is a much better ballad. I absolutely adore the use of acoustic guitar in this song. The finger picked notes are simple yet so elegant, and the use of harmonics adds a lot. This also has Harry's most intimate and beautiful singing and lyrics on the album. The lyrics about encouraging and helping someone who's had a rough upbringing are quite profound and sweet. I also love how piano gets brought into the second half of the track, as it grows much sadder and more solemn. This might be my favorite Harry song ever. It's gorgeous, moving and genuinely fantastic.
"Cinema" is pretty corny, and nowhere near as sexy as Harry thinks it is. The 70s funk styling of the instrumentation is quite tame, as it quickly and easily fades into the background. The track also has some of Harry's weakest lyric writing on the project. "I just think you're cool / I dig you're cinema / Do you think I'm cool, too? / Or am I too into you?" is not a good hook. But really, the thing about this song that frustrates me the most is that it lacks urgency. It has a decent groove and the guitar part at the end is cool, but there's nothing here that jumps out at me and commands my attention. It's just bland.
Luckily, "Daydreaming" is much better. I think the beat here is pretty cool, especially with the combination of slap bass, trumpets and choral vocals. It has a jam band quality that I dig quite a bit. It is certainly repetitive, but it's a fun track.
Unfortunately, the album takes a pretty decent dip in quality here. "Keep Driving" is such a nothing song. The production is grating, the melody is understated to the point of boredom and the writing is uninteresting. Harry sounds asleep at the wheel, and the build in the bridge doesn't lead to anywhere satisfying. It's easily one of the most forgettable songs on the album.
"Satellite" has a pretty nice starry aesthetic and the chorus is well written, but similarly to "Daylight" and "Cinema," the pop production prevents it from fully committing to the vibe that it's going for, resulting in the song to grow boring pretty quickly. Also, like "Daylight," there is a rock breakdown that doesn't have the oomph that it needs to be gratifying. Overall, this song isn't bad, but it is certainly not my favorite.
"Boyfriends" is an acoustic folk ballad that feels disconnected from the rest of the album, even the other ballads. It sounds like it was written for an entirely different project. And while I do like me some acoustic folk ballads, this one isn't winning me over. The writing is weak, and the effect on Harry's voice is not the best. It's another snoozer for the album.
The album ends with "Love Of My Life," which is such a let down of a closer. It has a cool sound palette and one of Harry's best vocal deliveries, but the pacing leaves a lot to be desired. The whole track builds and builds in tension until the track fizzles out. It never leads to anything, which is a shame, because this song is in need of something like that. Hell, a rock breakdown similar to "Satellite" and "Daylight" would have fit at home with this song. It closes the album on such an underwhelming note.
As a whole, I enjoyed Harry's House. It's a solid collection of pop tunes with some good writing, great performances and an overall nice and easy to enjoy vibe. There are some experiments that don't work as well as they could, and some moments come across as wallpaper music, but I still found myself liking most of what the album had to offer. Sure, this project does dip into the background pretty quickly, but then again, this album is perfect for that. This is some great background music for a social setting. It's pleasant, agreeable and, if you find yourself paying attention to what you're hearing, it can even be gratifying. I'm not sure if it's my favorite album of his or not, but I can certainly see why some consider it to be. It's a good album. I would tell you check it out, but let's face it, you already have by now. In that case, listen to it again if you liked what you heard. It's a good time.
Best Tracks: Music For a Sushi Restaurant; Late Night Talking; Grapejuice; As It Was; Matilda; Daydreaming
Worst Track: Little Freak
Grade: B
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