A fine look into an english rock star’s newest musical contribution
An enchanting record from an enchanting rock star.
Harry Styles’ charm comes only second to his song-writing capabilities and trend-setting fashion statements. Maybe it was the magic mushrooms, or maybe just the Malibu breeze, but the psychedelic road trip of his second solo album takes not only the mind on a treacherous emotional journey, but endures alongside the soul in songs of sudden heartbreak and subsequent self-discovery.
In a resounding secondary musical debut, Styles takes the final leap from his former boyband stardom into the true extraordinary limelight. With the release of his sophomore album in the successful pursuit of his solo career, ‘Fine Line’ not only exhibits the internal monologue of a free-thinker, but cultivates every young dreamer’s hippie fantasies. Even in the new wave of pop culture, these twelve tracks manage to manifest inspiration from numerous musical icons, from Bowie to Fleetwood Mac to Mick Jagger himself.
As stated before, Styles not only view the music as art, but the album as a whole. The cover features the pairing of vivid blues and pinks intertwined with Styles through the view of a fish-eyed lens, a subtle telling viewpoint of the freedom of gender roles and their boundaries. Heeled boots and hot pink suspenders make a hefty appearance, all on a silent mission to extinguish toxic masculinity and revive even the most ridiculous of fashion trends (although wide-legged trousers may have a vicious comeback of their own).
Album opener “Golden” entices the listener at no more than ten seconds in, with magical guitar riffs and momentary explosive lyrics from the backing choir. While being one of the most critical electric additions to the plentiful track list, it also happens to be the most lyrically wounded, in raw admissions such as ‘I don’t want to be alone’ and ‘I know that you’re scared – because I’m so open.’ The subsequent tracks “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You” are the culmination of the more-so chart topping pop music on the album. Both tracks give insight to what can only be described as the wonderful ‘honeymoon phase’ in past relationships of Styles’.
The alluding lyrics would be ones such as “Baby, you’re the end of June’ and ‘I get so lost inside your eyes.’ Only a song named after a fruit could be as successful as it is while trumpets play throughout the chorus. Following the joyous sounds of these two pop tunes is the debut single to the Fine Line era, “Lights Up.” A song that explores heavy themes of self-discovery and acceptance truly thrives within the realm of its own music video, a visual journey through dozens of metaphors of self-love and recognizing one’s true identity.
In a sudden shift of emotion, Styles’ album and overall musical theme turns down an empty road of heartbreak and reflection of past mistakes. In powerful ballads such as “Cherry” and “Falling,” former boyband-ee recalls his utmost painful moments, with such lyrics as ‘Don’t you call him baby’ and more specifically ‘What if I’m someone I don’t want around?’ With mesmerizing piano melodies and peaceful acoustic strums, both melodies likely leave the listener with a few more tears shed than before, even in the wake of ‘Cherry’ and its closing; a minute-long voicemail from an ex-girlfriend exchanging sentiments in a love language only the receiver would understand fully.
“To Be So Lonely” follows as track seven, a battle of emotions in the form of speedy ukulele riffs and the quiet strike of a match. As a sentimental finish to the emotional section of the album, “She,” a six minute electric guitar anthem, expresses a not-so-secretive feminine side of the singer, giving just a taste of what is hidden in lyrics like ‘A woman who’s just in his head – while he plays pretend.’ As the lyrics themselves cease only halfway through the track, one can only attribute the three minute guitar solo to quite the talented musician, one of Styles’ closest friends, Mitch Rowland, who also happens to be his touring guitarist.
As the album comes to its close, it takes the more optimistic view of life, instead of manifesting the somber feelings from previous songs. The sanguine melody of “Sunflower Vol. 6” gives an embodiment to any average person’s reggae daydreams with closing ad-libbed noises that may or may not have been a side-effect of a psychedelic trip. As stated by the title, five previous versions of the song were scrapped in what one can only assume to be the pursuit of the perfect sound. While “Canyon Moon” is what one would imagine a mountain road trip to feel and sound like, “Treat People With Kindness” is an extreme feel-good song rivaling even the ridiculous sounds of all-time favorite “Bohemian Rhapsody.” With uplifting lyrics such as ‘Maybe, we can find a place to feel good,’ the backing choir and zippy electric guitar work in tandem to bring forth a positive message in a revolutionary way.
With the closing title track “Fine Line,” the true masterful lyricism comes forward in this six minute musical cluster with lines like ‘Crisp trepidation,’ and ‘My hand’s at risk I fold.” A lost art that definitely did not pass by Styles is the ability to write music no less simplified as when it was just an idea.
Within yet another successful debut to chart-topping music culture, Harry Styles not only exudes a certain admirable confidence, but engages a bittersweet recognition of true self-love and emotional courage. By selflessly advocating for all cultures and the willingness to recognize the feelings of the public, Styles has truly achieved an untouchable level of fame. An album that not only dips its toes into the ocean of experimental songwriting, but takes the full plunge into the somewhat murky waters and swims through them with an enviable ease, is an album the music industry has been seeking to grasp for a great while.
In the words of the international rock star himself, “Don’t worry about it. Everything is going to be alright.”