Another day, another album. We're going to take a look at what Harry Styles has been up to since One Direction went their separate ways. Each member has their own identity and Harry was always the one that we expected to go indie, so let's jump in and see how well he's managed to pull it off.
Before we start, here's a little reminder of our rating system:
Track 01 - Meet Me in the Hallway
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 02 - Sign of the Times
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 03 - Carolina
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 04 - Two Ghosts
John - 3/5
Tilly - 4/5
Track 05 - Sweet Creature
John - 1.5/5
Tilly - 1.5/5
Track 06 - Only Angel
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 07 - Kiwi
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 08 - Ever Since New York
John - 2/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 09 - Woman
John - 1.5/5
Tilly - 1.5/5
Track 10 - From The Dining Table
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 4/5
Before we start, here's a little reminder of our rating system:
1 - Shouldn't have been recorded
2 - Filler
3 - Above average filler
4 - Killer
5 - Career defining masterpiece
Track 01 - Meet Me in the Hallway
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 02 - Sign of the Times
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 03 - Carolina
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 04 - Two Ghosts
John - 3/5
Tilly - 4/5
Track 05 - Sweet Creature
John - 1.5/5
Tilly - 1.5/5
Track 06 - Only Angel
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 07 - Kiwi
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 08 - Ever Since New York
John - 2/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 09 - Woman
John - 1.5/5
Tilly - 1.5/5
Track 10 - From The Dining Table
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 4/5
Conclusion
John - Don't get me wrong, this is not by any means a bad album, however it has a hell of a lot of faults. Way too much repetitiveness, lazy songwriting, and hardly any deviation from a slow to mid-tempo pattern let this record down. It's a consistently okay album. Carolina, Kiwi and Sign of the Times were highlights for me, but I won't be adding any of them to a playlist, purely because I'll end up skipping them. They are decent songs, yes, but far too forgettable, and at times just too repetitive to listen to in full. I think Harry has made a decent effort here for his debut, but it is lacking standout moments. The definition of solid but unremarkable.
Overall Score - 3/5
Tilly - I've never been a One Direction fan, much less a Harry Styles fan, but was eagerly awaiting his debut because I could see how much potential he had to be an excellent artist. I knew it was going to be a mixture of indie and indie rock given that he just has that kind of vibe to him but wondered just how successful he was going to be with his first attempt. I'm happy to say that the self titled album is mostly a success. A few of the tracks like Sweet Creature and Woman, were at times rather laughable - in fact during the latter, it sounded as if a Canadian goose has been let loose in the studio. However, From The Dining Table and Two Ghosts just prove that this guy has what it takes to be considered a serious, successful and genuinely talented singer. Overall Harry Styles' debut was emotional, flirtatious and certainly a good introduction to the real Harry. I eagerly await the follow up.
Overall Score - 3/5