Album Review: Finding Your Way on 'Fine Line'

The ex-One Direction star reaches new emotional depths on his sophomore LP.

Written by Lauren Cook

Love him or hate him, the world is at Harry Styles’ disposal. The star has the ability to stir up the press at the drop of a “Do.” Part of this exaltation comes as residual from devoted fans who have followed him since his days as a teenie-pop icon in the global hit boy band One Direction. But Styles’ charming and eccentric ways still attract those on the fringes who could care less about his musical upbringing. His debut solo record Harry Styles packed classic rock ‘n’ roll tunes and Beatles-esque ballads together to create a project widely enjoyed by fangirls and music Chads alike. But much of HS1’s success comes from the fact that he played it safe. The rock sound more or less maintained what had already been done in the genre, and the lyricism could have come from anyone. However, in an interview for Rolling Stone earlier this year, Styles stated that his second album would be more himself. Since Styles is a fairly private person, despite being on the worldwide stage since he was a teenager, his second record is a long-awaited glimpse into the star’s head.

The singles “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You” were fans’ first introduction to Fine Line. “Lights Up,” the first of the singles to be released, alludes to Styles’ newfound vulnerability. The song, though dreamy and tinged with psychedelia, contains darker lyrical themes. The ominous and existential chorus repeatedly asks, “Do you know who you are? ”Lights Up” sounds like it was made during a time when he was still unsure of the answer to that question. The mystery of the track only created more buzz about what Styles might later reveal about himself on the album.

The next two singles, “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You,” are much brighter. Despite its November release, the chilled-out guitar melody and horn line on “Watermelon Sugar” create nostalgia for a summer that has yet to happen. As a known purveyor of fruits, Styles namechecks various produce to help build on the idea of a perfect summer day. While it might be cold and dreary out right now, “Watermelon Sugar” successfully transports the listener to a sunnier place. “Adore You” arrived with the most fanfare and promotion, including the creation of a fake island, Eroda. The release of the track came with an almost eight-minute long extended music video about a boy and his fish. “Adore You” is the most pop-sounding of all the singles, featuring a funky bass and guitar beat. The track, though fun and danceable, is also the most generic. If Fine Line is about Styles finding his voice musically, then “Adore You” is where he gets most lost.

In addition to opener “Golden,” another breezy, upbeat track, the three singles make up the first third of the album. It’s a fun third, but the songwriting doesn’t convey anything new from Styles that listeners weren’t previously expecting.

However, the next two thirds do prove Styles’ ability to let his guard down. Folk ballad “Cherry” is an intimately personal lament that is possibly about his breakup with French-American model Camille Rowe. Styles directly mourns their relationship, making references to her accent, her friends, her style influences on him, and even her new art-collecting beau. The instrumentation is simple and pure. It builds in complexity, before it comes down and finishes with a soft guitar melody accompanied by a recording of Rowe herself. Styles’ personal life is at the forefront in “Cherry,” making the track one of the most honest and refreshing tracks the singer has put out to date.

“To Be So Lonely” provides listeners with another side of Styles. In the track, he bounces between refusing the blame and admitting to being an “arrogant son of a b----.” There’s also bitterness in the chorus, in which he demands that his ex stop calling him “baby” post-breakup, even though he knows she means it in a friendly way. This tone is a new turn for Styles. This song is his first to express negative emotions more aggressive than sadness. But beyond getting a deeper look into Harry Styles’ emotional psyche, the song also takes on a fresh new style completely different from any of his other songs. The track features a trilling guitar and drum clicks that make it sound almost gleeful despite its lyrics. Between the instrumentation and Styles’ staccato singing, “To Be So Lonely” is a quirky and compelling track.

The back half of Fine Line isn’t all heartache, though. “Sunflower Vol. 6” brings back some of the warmth from the beginning of the album as Styles reflects on the good parts of an old relationship. The track sounds like a jam band song, complete with lively keyboard and guitars and cheeky vocal improvisations at the end. There’s also “Treat People With Kindness,” which has an overpowering energy that makes it feel like the finale of a musical. The song is definitely cheesy and overall a bit much, but it’s undeniably fun. The album concludes with the indie folk titular track “Fine Line.” The song begins softly and subdued before exploding into a beautiful musical phrase filled with snappy snare and passionate horns.

Fine Line wears many sonic hats, refusing to stick to one genre or another. Styles tries on a bunch of different styles for size, and his execution is nearly perfect. For the cynic, it might appear as though Styles is still struggling to find his own proper musical niche. But it looks like Styles is letting his audience know that he’s not tied to one soundscape in particular. After years under tight management and only being allowed to make pop music, Styles is finally taking some time to experiment with different genres. His takes on various genres in Fine Line aren’t exactly revolutionary, but the production is definitely there. In short, Fine Line isn’t Styles’ final destination in fully growing into his own sound, but it is a satisfying pitstop.

REVIEWSAfterglow ATXDecember 16, 2019