Harry Styles, best known for being a part of British boy band One Direction has released his second studio album since going solo, “Fine Line” reached audiences on Dec. 13, 2019. This album has shown Harry as a solo artist and his advanced ability to immerse himself in the world of soft rock, singer-songwriter and pop music, rather than his past juvenile music with One Direction.
His recent album showcases a vast amount of instruments including acoustic and electric guitar, piano, drums, bass, trumpets and synthesizers which leads to his overall 70s and 80s sound.
Prior to the release of “Fine Line” Styles came out with three promotional singles of which appeared on the album. His first single off the album, “Lights Up” didn’t make waves among vast audiences, but his following singles “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You” did.
From Styles’ first self-titled album to his recent release of “Fine Line,” growth can be seen in every aspect. More falsettos, varying instruments and overall better lyrics have made Styles stand out for the first time against his past persona.
I believe the innovation on this album and the exploration of new sounds has made this album worth a listen. “Fine Line” dips into a variety of sounds which could be credited to his inspirations; David Bowie, Queen, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and many other musicians known for individual music styles.
“Fine Line” is a sequence of stories about a previous break up with his French girlfriend, Camille Rowe. The first track, “Golden,” is before the breakup when everything was happy-go-lucky. A change can be seen when you skip to sixth track, “Falling,” which conveys regret and sorrow over their breakup. The rest of the songs follow in his progress after their breakup. This focal point creates a concise storyline that many albums don’t have which makes for an interesting listen.
However, his second to last song, “Treat People with Kindness,” in my opinion has fallen flat. The Queen vibes that have seemed to have inspired the song has made it sound like something out of High School Musical, specifically the chorus.
My personal favorites include, “To Be So Lonely,” “She,” and “Fine Line.” “To Be So Lonely,” with its fast guitar picking along with its soft edgy vocal tone make for an intriguing sound that hasn’t been heard from Styles before. “She,” has a very classic rock undertone, a falsetto chorus, which then leads to the ending of the song with a guitar interlude which enhances its uniqueness. “Fine Line,” the last track wraps up the album with a reflection and left me in awe.
In all, I rate “Fine Line” an 8.5/10. The cohesion and story within the album gives off his emotions at every point in his relationship and reveals an unexpected maturity.