Greetings! I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday season! Today, we’re talking about a release that I initially wasn’t going to cover, due to a few end-of-year projects currently in the works (coming soon!), But this particular release turned out to be wildly popular, and on top of that, I received a request for it. I’m speaking, of course, of Fine Line, the sophomore solo album from One Direction star Harry Styles. In 2017, Styles established himself as a capable solo artist with his self-titled debut album, which actually really surprised me. It was a smart, infectious soft rock album that displayed Styles’ versatility in a way that his contributions to One Direction never had. So how does Styles’ sophomore release measure up?
Right off the bat, I’ll go ahead and say I don’t like this album nearly as much as I liked Styles’ first. His flirtations with rock, which were what won me over on that album primarily, have been significantly dialed back on Fine Line, which can comfortably be classified as a pop record. That being said, it doesn’t really sound like a pop record from 2019 (and I mean that in the best of ways). The guitar-driven pop sound that was established on the self-titled album is still quite prevalent here. Contrast that against some acoustic-centered ballads, and you have an overall very organic sounding record, with a surprising lack of heavily electronic tracks. This may not be exactly the sophomore album I would’ve wanted, but it’s still certainly a refreshing sound for a pop album in the current musical landscape.
While Fine Line is a step down from self-titled in terms of overall originality and versatility, it is overall a more cohesive, thought out project. The songs on this album seem to tell a story about a complicated, rocky relationship between Styles and an unnamed significant other. The songs have a very natural musical and lyrical flow, and showcase a reasonably diverse collection of sounds and moods, even if not to the extent of Styles’ first record. Several tracks include thickly layered choir vocals, adding power and dynamism to the hooks, the best examples being “Sunflower, Vol. 6” and “Treat People with Kindness.” “Watermelon Sugar” is a funky, danceable number featuring a New Orleans-style horn section, definitely standing out as a highlight on the album. Guitar work on “She” borders on psychedelic. However, the strongest and most memorable cuts on the album are the ballads. We have “Cherry,” a heartbreak song driven by a gently finger-picked acoustic guitar, and featuring tasteful harmonica work, as well as “Falling,” a beautiful piano ballad, and perhaps the most personal and introspective song Styles has released to date.
We also hear a few tracks that more or less border on generic millennial pop, and these are pretty easily the weakest tracks on the album. While tracks such as “Lights Up” and “Fine Line” aren’t bad per se, they certainly fall through the cracks when measured up against some of the more unique cuts on this album. Fortunately, these tracks are few enough not to bring the entire project down.
Overall, Harry Styles played it much safer with this album than his last, but Fine Line is still a sufficiently enjoyable pop project. Even if Styles took this one in a direction I wasn’t as crazy about, he still checks all the boxes: irresistible hooks, snappy instrumentation and production, and cliché, yet clever lyrics. And he does it without giving into many of the tired writing and production tropes that have plagued pop music for the past few years. For a newcomer’s introduction to Styles’ solo work, I would recommend his self-titled debut, as frankly, it is better. But if you’re a fan of any of Styles’ past work, there’s no reason you won’t enjoy Fine Line.
Score: 7/10
Favorite Song(s): Falling, Cherry, Watermelon Sugar, Sunflower, Vol. 6
Least Favorite Song(s): Lights Up, Fine Line
Phil Klinker Music Reviews 