Harry's House Review: There aren't many pop superstars left; at least not many intriguing ones; and almost none who have recently left boy bands; which have historically been a fruitful breeding ground for pop stars.
When British boy band One Direction formed in 2010 on the British talent show “The X Factor” and disbanded in early 2016; many expected Zayn Malik to be the group's breakout star.
Former bandmate Harry Styles, though, stepped in to fill the void.
It was only natural that Styles' first solo album; “Harry Styles;” was a nostalgic exercise in folk-pop; '80s new wave; and classic rock.
1D came closer to Dad Rock than any other boy band, experimenting with the same textures frequently.
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Styles' second album; “Fine Line;” released in 2019; was a triumphantly sad extension of those same revivalist impulses; with funk and modified psych-pop tossed in for good measure.
What Is Harry's House?
“Harry's House,” which was released on Friday, is a milder, less colorful continuation of the series.
Styles has stated that “Fine Line” was a sensual breakup record, whereas “Harry's House” is a new-relationship album.
“Harry's House,” which was released on Friday, is a milder, less colorful continuation of the series.
(Styles is dating Olivia Wilde; who also happens to be his director on the next picture “Don't Worry Darling.”) “Harry's House;” like its predecessors; is a lyrically ambiguous offering that clings to you-know-I-love-you-babe cliches.
When it's through; you won't feel any closer to Styles; which is a smart move for an overexposure-courting celebrity in a public relationship; but criminally incompetent for a would-be confessional singer-songwriter.
The majority of the things he admits to enjoying are things that no one could disagree with cycling; the occasional edible; sexy time by the beach; hash browns with maple syrup.
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There are subtle references to cocaine, but they feel forced in as if someone in marketing decided Styles needed a vice.
Harry's House Genre
Styles is one of pop's most self-effacing stars; as well as one of the least inclined to put himself at the center of his own story.
To the point of foolishness, he is deferential.
solely, he cares about what you desire. He is only interested in what you are interested in.
He comforts a woman whose family did not love her (“It's none of my business/ But it's just been on my mind”) in the exquisite folk ballad “Matilda.”
On the modestly groovy “Late Night Talking,” he croons consolingly about her harming herself (“You stub your toe or shatter your camera.”)
“I'll do everything in my power to assist you”). On the charming “Boyfriends,” he's a sympathetic bystander who's just as perplexed as you are by what males do (“Boyfriends, are they just pretending?”).
Styles' biggest hit, “Watermelon Sugar,” demonstrated a talent for non-embarrassing sexual metaphors, which is why “Cinema” (“I bring the pop to the cinema/ You pop when we get intimate”) is the album's closest thing to an actual disaster.
Styles' unorthodox combination of inspirations is on display in “Harry's House,” with their dangerous edges smoothed down.
It sounds like what would have happened if Freddie Mercury had gone to Laurel Canyon and collaborated with A-ha on a song.
Other times, it's a gentle soft-rock album that nudges you with its nose, eager to please, as if it were made by a golden retriever.
The Harry Styles who sang a wobbly version of “Man!” at Coachella last month in a sparkly jumpsuit.
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There is no mention of “I Feel Like a Woman” with Shania Twain (who adored him).
Harry Styles Number Of Songs
| Singles | 12 |
| Promotional singles | 1 |
Harry Styles is an English singer who has released three studio albums, one EP, one video album, twelve singles, nine music videos, and one promotional single as a solo artist.
Harry Styles sometimes seems like a computer program tasked with composing music for a modern audience, fed by the prototypical Boomer parent's record collection and tasked with mashing pre-existing sounds together.
Whereas his first two albums focused on the whiter sounds of the 1970s, such as hard rock and Laurel Canyon, Harry's House Styles is a transmigrator who ventures even further away.
At this stage in his career, Harry Styles' unifying sonic theory is not in a single era, but in the overall practice of a competent but unadventurous musical pastiche.
Styles' moods shift from one bassline to the next on Harry's House, from the exuberant, tight-harmonies of horn-led, feel-good funk-lite “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” and “Daydreaming” to the mellower, mid-tempo bounce of “Late Night Talking” and churning guitars of road song “Keep Driving.”
Styles also appears to have discovered some of the effects pedals and voice processing filters that propelled the last 15 years' listless, disaffected indie-rock soundscapes.
These characteristics add a faint air of anxiety to Harry's House's normally lighthearted compositions.
