Identity crisis is what’s this album takes inspirations from “SUPERMARKET” EXPERIENCE
HS1 have Sign of the Times, Fine Line got..basically his best songs, Golden, Watermelon Sugar, Adore You, and the self-title song, and Harry’s House have As It Was, along with the underrated songs like Late Night Talking, Daylight, Matilda. They’re all are commercially successful and the best Pop songs ever. But..What this album got?
After 4 years of Harry’s House, we got the unpredictable direction by the lead single “Aperture” which is also the intro track, basically it’s the Harry’s “House”. But the whole song is just incredibly mid, an casual listener would say “the beat is fire” cuz they’re never listening to House. It’s even like the worse version of Deadbeat, but it’s nonetheless just an stupid dance song, I really expect some more. And then we got..American Girls. It’s instruments is not that striking, starts with the generic average piano.. but the vocal and the little synth-punk layer is very good well executed, with that all being blended perfectly, it’s literally nothing bad. And just then, we got the most Harry’s House-coded song, Ready, Steady, Go. But don’t just stop right here, the structures is very fun, the ending is incredible, the acid Techno with Indie pop influence is very addicting, but that’s not my point of an good track.
Are You Listening Yet have the most annoying vocal performance, including the chorus is very diabolical, the Drum and Bass and synths is very loud but not fascinating at all. Taste Back is takes the most boring takes ever from Pop. The vocal and Indietronica influence is very mediocre, The Waiting Game is basically what it’s promise, it’s very boooring and we have to wait. Season 2 Weight Loss is simply the best track below Aperture, the beats, instruments, synths and vocal is just incredibly fun and loud, but get watered-down in the second half that as little bit being more emptier, it was like the Sojourn of this album. Coming Up Roses is being an simple melancholic ballad after, that’s basically what’s his best at. The structure is not the most unique, but it’s good. Pop is an indeed Pop song, the chorus is for no reason, it’s just very energetic and good, the synth-punk is also nicely blended, very passable as overall.
Dance No More is an fun Dance-pop song, but..to dance it’s should be an fun song, so what’s really claimed from here? Nothing, and I kinda hear the Aperture callback by the little piano notes, a lot of cool effects here, this is perfect. Oh my posh..We really don’t need any generic mediocre acoustic song from you..Paint By Numbers is simply the worst and annoying track here, wish it’s never become an commercial hit. Carla’s Song is an very good closer, the bass, beats, pianos, reverberating synths, the chill atmosphere is all well done, mostly an callback to the Harry’s House songs like Daylight, Satellite.
So..it’s just another nothingburger album from Harry Styles. And I even like Harry’s House more actually. In the end, I don’t know how to feel with this album, what’s kind of consumer that Harry want to share? An casual music listeners that doesn’t even understand the art of music? Well it is fr. With all the random genre mix, it’s sadly end-up into an plastic pop songs. None of this being iconic and aged well for the next years, the result is very bland and plastic. Such a lot of wasted potential, including the Cover. This is ain’t disco at all.
// Repeat value: 8/10 // Uniqueness: 5/10 // Cohesiveness: 5/10 // Tracklist: 4/10 // Artwork: 10/10 // Killers: 6/10 // There’s filler interference: 5/10
// Favorite tracks: Aperture, American Girls, Season 2 Weight Loss, Pop, Dance No More, Carla’s Song