Harry Style’s brand new album “Fine Line” is confident, catchy, and quite brilliant.
Since his X-Factor days, Styles has had a bit of a branding problem. When One Direction broke up, he desperately tried to leave behind his teen heartthrob pop persona and attempted to go solo as a young rockstar. He never quite managed to break away from his tween reputation and his attempt at a rebrand was awkward and did not sit comfortably with fans.
Now, Styles is back with solo album number two and this time, he has a clear message of who he is and the kind of music he wants to make. Styles seems to have accepted his pop roots while also paying homage to his rock influences that shaped his passion for music growing up. The result is a confident, self-assured album with some catchy tunes.
The album begins with the strong track “Golden”. The track is fun, playful, and appeases his pop following. “Adore You” follows shortly after and it follows in the same vein. The track is familiar but also has enough elements that it is going to appeal to the indie audience. Think Miles Kane, Childish Gambino and something a little funkier.
“Falling” on the other hand is slower and more deliberate. Styles sound more mature as he showcases a stronger and more impassioned side of his vocal range. “Treat People With Kindness” is upbeat and powerful. Styles borrows a choir to create those empowering, positives vibes that 2019 has been all about. For the first time, it actually feels like Style has something to say and is confident saying it. He has come into himself and seems to no longer be relying on a PR team to create his personality for him.
The titular track “Fine Line” strips things back to acoustic guitar and Styles’ soft and confessional singing. “Put a price on emotion / I’m looking for something to buy / You’ve got my devotion / But man, I can hate you sometimes,” he sings. In “To Be So Lonely” Styles sings “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch who can’t admit when he’s sorry.” This new Harry Styles is switched on and comfortable to admit his shortcomings. It wouldn’t be absurd to consider Styles’ voice on Fine Line as representative of a generation of young men navigating through non-toxicity and generational backlash.
So basically, and we can’t quite believe we are saying this, Fine Line is a decent album. Harry Styles can no longer be considered a “guilty pleasure” but a talented young artist with something to say and a talent for saying it.
4/5
