Music review: Harry Styles breaks shackles of pop music in new album

One Direction's Harry Styles is second last band member to deliver something concrete during the hiatus and only the second one to come up with an entire solo album. His self-titled album released on Friday and he has also planned a world tour later this year to follow the success of his music on the charts.

Harry Styles (the album. It may get difficult to differentiate, but bear with me) has one Harry and two stories with various styles. The Brit collaborated with music producer Jeff Bhasker for the solo outing. Bhasker has won Grammy for producing 'We Are Young' by Fun. featuring Janelle Monae and 'Uptown Funk' by Bruno Mars among other wins and nominations. With his help, Styles is breaking away from his pop image but not so slowly. Let's take a look at the tracklist to see the narrative.

The album begins with a pain-filled ballad about heartbreak, 'Meet Me In the Hallway.' Strong, Americana sounding guitar tunes are accompanied by sombre singing calling for a beloved, who broke the man but that man is still waiting for them to return. Then there is also the need to get to the next level. This also could be Styles reminding himself of getting to that next level after the days of the band. The song still feels close to the softer songs of 1D like 'Story of My Life.' 

Next on the list is the song Stylistas (Is it the new term for Harry Styles fans? If you guys have not decided on anything, we can totally brainstorm on that one.) cannot stop singing. Much has been written about the song 'Sign of the Times.' Including about the video in which Styles pulls a Jesus and runs on water. It was a smart move to release this song before the others. This song thrives on Styles' vocals. Everything in the song, the percussion, the piano, and the space to hit the high notes is designed to let the singer shine. That is the whole point of a solo album. But there are songs that stick and there are songs which fans use to keep the pretenders away. Ever heard, 'You can come to the concert only if you know this particular song'? Or those songs become an important part of pub quizzes. 'Sign of the Times' is the part of sticking category.

By the time we reach 'Carolina,' Styles has found a good girl in this song. It carries the traces of American country music song. No wonder he is being teased so Swift-ly. But I'd like to think that he closed that chapter with 'Perfect' from 1D's Made in the AM. There exist theses that were written comparing the frames of that song with Taylor Swift's 'Style.' 

Coming back to the song, it's clear as the day that Styles and the producers are taking cues from '60s music and fusing them with the sound of 2017. Do not tell me that 'La la la' part didn't remind you of the distinctive Beatles sound.

In 'Two Ghosts,' I can make an argument about how the country girl from 'Carolina' is not the one Styles is looking for. He has done the safe, lovey-dovey, talk-to-me-open-your-heart-to-me kind love. So now they are the 'two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty/Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat.' The song seems to be connecting to 'Meet Me in the Hallway.' It also foreshadows the heartbreaking ending of the album.

'Sweet Creature' is the Miss Goody-Two-Shoes of the lot. Riding on the soft ache of 'Two Ghost' and acoustics of the arrangements. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself at a campfire and Styles shall appear singing this ballad to you. Now come back. We are moving to a territory that's called 'Awesome Harry, Where Were You All This Time?"

Styles breaks the pop shackles with 'Only Angel' and hovers dangerously close to the Old-school rock. In the narrative, I am assuming he has moved away from the country scene to the ever-so-vulnerable cityscape. And in that chaos, he has found his Goth angel. The last minute and half of the song will get the feet tapping and a bit of wannabe head-banging at concerts.

'Kiwi' is the song Styles graduates to being a solo artist with his own voice and stamp. The out-and-out rock n roll song is refreshing but also a reminder that Styles still needs some time to develop a base here. As the lyrics go, it's 'driving me crazy, but I'm into it, but I'm into it/I'm kind of into it.' 

'Ever Since New York' was the other song Styles had performed better than 'Sign of the Times' at Saturday Night Live. After dabbling in rock n roll, Styles returns to the initial tone. The song washes over you and now again I need you to close your eyes and imagine yourself at the camp we earlier set up. This time imagine it's break of dawn and this song is the one he decides to play. You must sway, people. Just sway. In the narrative though, his Kiwi girl has left him wanting more is what I imagine.

As far as my narrative of Harry Styles goes, next song, 'Woman' is all about jealousy, the inferno that is slowly taking him in. With this track, Styles is again wading in the rock waters. Then there is the '60s flavour just sprinkled all over. Play this in a lounge and I shall sip on my iced tea (teetotaller, so...) watching Styles burn in agony.

The tracklist ends with a soft acoustic song 'From the Dining Table.' For me personally, the use of cello is simply perfect. That instrument gives shape to the pain of letting go. The album started with a heartbreak song and after all the fun in between, Styles still wants to bid adieu on a broken note.

'Sign of the Times,' 'Carolina,' 'Sweet Creature,' 'Kiwi,' 'Woman,' and 'Ever Since New York' are the strongest of them all. These songs highlight Styles' capability of switching from pop to pop rock to full-on rock n roll. By the time we reach 'Woman,' Styles has shattered the boy band image.

It wouldn't hurt Styles to be the new voice of old school rock. He may be able to bridge the gap between alt-rock and hard rock and then build a new one towards pop rock.

The only strongest expectation from Harry Styles was that this will give the singer his own voice. That, the album achieves to the fullest. But take some time before putting him in the lines of Paul McCartney or Justin Timberlake. McCartney found his voice much after the Beatlemania subsided. For Timberlake, there had to be a solid combination of hard work and constant invention after N'Sync dissolved. The time and effort brought him the success of his album The 20/20 Experience. Now, McCartney is called one of the greatest songwriters of all time and Timberlake is master of mixing soul music with pop beats. These things take time and practice apart from experience. 

Styles has only just begun.