Harry Styles 'Fine Line' (Album Review)
Oscar Rendon | St. Louis, MO | December 24th, 2019
Harry Styles returns with his sophomore album Fine Line after a successful debut album in 2017. You may know Styles from his days in One Direction or his numerous appearances on The Late Late Show with James Corden. On his self-titled album Styles proved he wasn’t what you expected, turning in rock and folk classics like “Sign of the Times”, “Kiwi”, “Ever Since New York” and “Two Ghosts”. Styles has also dabbled in films, appearing in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk in 2017. Just below this writing is our review for one of my most anticipated albums of the year. In the weeks leading up to the release of Fine Line (2019), Styles released several singles from the album including “Watermelon Sugar”, “Adore You” and “Lights Up” which have received positive praise from critics and fans alike.
Fine Line (Album Review)
Fine Line starts with one of my favorite songs off the new album, “Golden”. It has a fake out of being a pop song when the background choir starts and you think, “oh another pop song” but it quickly becomes a fun and kinetic song that resembles rock and pop but that you would hear on an alternative or indie rock playlist. Golden has one of the best hooks in the chorus as it’s not just a song to jam to but has some great lyrical content. You can dance, jump, and move to this song with ease. “Watermelon Sugar” is by far the most recognizable song off the new album and the catchiest as well. The song leans more to the pop side of things but I don’t mind because it has great tracks backing the vocals. Guitars in the song seem like they’re from the 1970’s as the chords together create a soothing psychedelic tune that stimulates your ears and gets you moving. The verses on this song is where it’s at and it’s topped with the strangest yet fun chorus. “Adore You” is where Harry fully embraces the pop but he also experiments with an underlying jazz tempo that is very subtle. He doesn’t sacrifice any of the instrumentation for digital or overly produced synth tracks which has been a recurring ting in music today. “Lights Up” is a mix bag of sounds, genres and influences. If this was another artist I would probably think it’s a gimmick that a lot of artists have used since Queen debuted “Bohemian Rhapsody” but knowing Harry Styles influences and the good track record so far I give it a pass (plus he pulls it off with his vocal range and seamless transitions from one to the other.
“Cherry” is next on the list, and it really shines a light on his more folk side. Lyrically the song is heartbreaking, longing for someone you had and lost, seeing them with someone else. What makes “Cherry” so good is that you feel it in your bones and you can relate it. The silence of nothing but Harry’s voice and guitar give it an atmosphere.. a feeling of sadness and appreciation. Now we arrive to the ballad, almost a perfect transition from “Cherry”, “Falling” hits you right where it counts and you truly feel it. Almost yelling “What am I now?” in sorrow and confusion the song feels big telling this small story. The piano almost sounds like a slower paced version of “Sign of the Times” and it works so well with his voice that is haunting and imperfect in the best of ways. He sounds like he’s breaking and a song like this needs that human touch without the over-editing of vocals. I’m a ballad guy and that song checked all the boxes. “To Be So Lonely” is the continuation of the love/heartbreak chapter of this album and I would say it’s the weakest song on the LP but his weakest song is most people’s best so don’t get me wrong. Harry mixes styles and at first listening you might think it’s folk but then it transitions to rock for the chorus and like I said before, he pulls it off very well. “She” reminds me of “Woman” from his debut LP but he really paces himself in the song. What I really like about this song is that the emphasis is on his voice and the lyrics, he’s very vivid with his storytelling and from the jump I get that maybe he’s infatuated with someone new or maybe someone he hasn’t met yet. It’s all in his head and it becomes a fantasy, the guitar riffs give it this out of body experience. “Sunflower, Vol. 6” has a great rhythm and instrumentation that give the song a unique sound that reminds me of something I could hear on a Beatles album. What makes it unique is that it feels timeless and not a 2019 song, the one thing I miss about music nowadays is that it doesn’t sound like a song I can listen to in a few years but this song has that longevity that people will remember for years to come. “Canyon Moon” has the most cinematic sound and maybe thats because of the style he draws from with the late 60’s/early 70’s vibe that has been widely accepted in todays culture. Sounds like it could be in a Marvel movie perhaps Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? The lyrics aren’t as strong as but the fact that this kind of music isn’t gone gives me hope that Harry continues in a similar direction. “Treat People With Kindness” comes out of the gate and basks in the influences from the 70’s disco era. I feel like I can groove to it and his vocals really lend themselves to that sound and style. We now arrive to the end, “Fine Line” feels like a cap to a stellar sophomore outing for the Brit. Almost as a metaphor, the last song is coming to terms with the end of a relationship but also having those regrets we all have. Theres a fine line to what they are now. Now I’m only giving my interpretation because that’s all we can do with songs that feel universal, they hit us each differently. So here it is, what I actually think of this album: it’s bold and it doesn’t apologize for the influences he borrows from. Some people make the music they can & others make music the music they love and its clear to me that Harry Styles is making the music he loves.