ALBUM REVIEW: "Harry Styles" by Harry Styles

I haven't really enjoyed any of the post One Direction solo releases so far, but I tried my best to go into Harry Styles' debut solo album as objectively and without expectations as possible. And for the most part I was mildly surprised by what I heard, in a good way. There's a captivating interplay between intimacy and detachment all the way through the album, which is easily the most interesting thing about this album, allowing for some really strong lyrical moments and a rawness and authenticity that was completely lacking from any of the material One Direction put out. This record also kind of plays like a tribute to classic rock, which proves to be a fantastic way to showcase Styles' voice. My biggest concern here, however, is the way it sounds like the kind of album a band puts out past the halfway mark in their career. I recognise the moody, mature atmosphere Styles obviously is going for (worlds apart from the sugary One Direction sound), and he nails it for the most part, but from a guy still in his early twenties I was kind of hoping for a bit more energy and excitement. This becomes more of a problem on the back end of the record, that becomes sluggish and without a whole lot of direction. The production of this album sounds fantastic, I should add. There are some really strong moments throughout the album, but unfortunately you need to go looking for them a lot more than I would have liked (there are some real stinkers towards the end of the record, too). A generally likeable album on first listen, but not much beyond that, unfortunately.

Favourite Tracks: Meet Me In The Hallway and Two Ghosts

Least Favourite Tracks: Only Angel, Kiwi and Woman.

Rating: 4.5/10

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ALBUM REVIEW: "A Man Apart" by Ben Ottewell

Ben Ottewell's third LP A Man Apart goes boldly where he has been before, and while it certainly does that pretty well it doesn't manage to either strike new ground or any real emotional response. There is a distinctly "nice" feel to this record, which is, um, nice I guess if that's what you want. But it just doesn't feel like there's any immediacy or forward motion on any of these songs, like Ottewell is content with writing songs that could be on four wheel drive ads. Again, there isn't really anything particularly bad here, it's just a singer-songwriter album that isn't trying to break new ground. His typically growly voice is also beginning to give way to a more accessible, smooth tone, which could place you on either side of this record. For me it just cements it's place firmly in the middle ground somewhere. Favourite Songs: Own It, A Man Apart and Lead Me Least Favourite Songs: Watcher, Back To The World and Bones ...

1 YEAR LATER: "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

Bon Iver's third studio album turns 1 in about a week (where did that year go?), so I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about how my impressions of the album have changed - or how they haven't - over the last 12 months. When this album was released I was more excited than I think I ever have been to hear a new album. For Emma, Forever Ago is one of my all time favourites, and I love his self-titled second album too, so I had huge expectations for this album, but was also wary that expectations might ruin my experience of the music. This was particularly the case for 22, A Million , because it is unlike anything else Justin Vernon has released. There have been hints at this more processed, electronic direction previously, like the song "Woods" on the Blood Bank EP and occasional flourishes on Bon Iver , but 22, A Million is a drastic departure from the Bon Iver sound we had grown accustomed to at this point in time. Or at least, that's what I thought...

EP REVIEW: "Same Kind Of Different" by Dean Lewis

Dean Lewis offers up six largely acoustic-driven tunes on his debut offering, all of which are clearly aimed at wider appeal. The acoustic-pop thing has never really done it for me (read my recent Ed Sheeran review here ), mainly because behind the slick production and singable hooks there's a general lack of songwriting to be had. This is where Same Kind Of Different sits a rung above most other similar albums; take the sugar and fairy dust away and there are still six complete songs that could be on a singer-songwriter album, rough and bare. I can appreciate the way these songs have been tailored to be played to a larger audience, but the substance behind the shine is more important to me. The six songs do sound very similar, however, and they do tend to blur together into a singular mass - which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on who you are. For me that was a bit of a concern on second and third listen, but I was generally pleased by Same Kind Of Diffe...

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