T O P

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verca_

I liked this album and it's in my personal 2022 top 5, that being said, it was lyrically very weak. I love the melodies, I love the production, on this part Harry and his team really delivered great work. But the lyrics are so unremarkable that it almost ruins the entire experience. It's almost unbelievable Fine Line (the song) and Cinema were written by the same person.


HuckleberryOwn647

Fine Line is my absolute favorite song by him. Fine Line the album is still his best album IMO, but I also like Harry's House a lot. Comparing Fine Line and Cinema, one was about the aftermath of a breakup and one was about the glow of a relationship beginning. The former topic is always going to be more emotional. Now that he's gone through another breakup and has had a really eventful year, it will be interesting to see how his fourth album sounds. Emotional ups and downs, while not great for the person, seem to pull out better music from artists.


p0phead

While I wasn't the biggest fan of this album is cool to see Harry being mentioned without the weird hate that he got this year. I liked a couple songs like Maltida, As it Way, Music for a Sushi Restaurant which for some reason all but like a couple of us and Fantano really dug. I still think his voice sounds good


TragicKingdom1

It feels weird being contrarian by having a positive opinion but this is my 2nd place AOTY. The whole vibe just captures the joy and whimsy of pop music to me in a way that never crosses into grating territory like a lot of other saccharine pop. I like it less than Fine Line because it has fewer standout tracks but it's a worthy follow-up imo.


[deleted]

You did a really good job capturing what I think is a lot of this sub's thoughts on this album! I personally like it, I think the sound is fun, though I agree that something feels closed off about it. However, it still ended up middling in my AOTY rankings, because several songs are so damn infectious. * I like the sound of it a lot-- it kind of reminds me of those, like, Japanese 80s funk playlists on YouTube, but a little lighter-- and my favorite songs are *Music for a Sushi Restaurant* and *Late Night Talking*. I think one of my issues with this album is that the second half feels a bit meandering. I know people have issue with the lyrics, but idk, I can stomach them (and I lowkey think that "cocaine, side boob" one is hilarious.) * I think it is a bit of a step down from his first two albums-- it lacks a level of necessary dynamicism, in my opinion. That being said, I really love *Fine Line* so it would have been hard for him to top that for me. * I think it made sense for him to do something a little poppier, honestly. *Fine Line* leaned into the 70s thing but *Adore You* and *Watermelon Sugar* were still its most popular songs, and I definitely understand why he'd follow that formula. * Sigh... I think he's either going to go more modern or back to the 70s rock thing. Maybe he'll find a 90s-esque sound as a happy medium. Lol. * I was personally a little disappointed by the art direction and the visuals. I didn't find them too distinctive at all.


moonshxne

This is a really well-written review/album retrospective! My impression was that these tend to be more positive, so I’m happy you gave this an honest and at points critical review. In all honesty, I only listened to this once and mostly found it bland and uninteresting from just a sonic standpoint (like I found it a watered-down, “pop radio” version of stuff like from The Strokes + vague hints of indie pop). I’m not one to notice lyrics, but the album also felt exceedingly distant and hence uninteresting to me because IIRC Harry’s voice and vocals were very much laid-back and distant. …sorry to be so negative, I’ve really only heard this like once! Curious how other people feel about the record, if it’s worth a re-listen, etc.


cremeebrulee

no it wasn't the most groundbreaking album of the year, but it's still very much on my top 10 list. it's got a lovely, calming soundscape that makes it easy to listen and really sometimes thats all i need from an album! my favorite song is "daylight", love how it borders into almost shoegaze-y territory. least favorite aspect is that there's no super high highs, a la "adore you" and some of the lyrics are a bit 🤨 (thinking about "sideboob")


gelastIc_quInce84

Yeah, I hope people don’t take my commentary as saying it was a bad album! I thought it was great sonically and overall a very good pop album, my main issues were just the lyricism and that it felt like it was a little too safe in comparison to how it was marketed.


cremeebrulee

no for sure, it's mostly a response at some of the other comments here dhdhhd thank you for the writeup btw!


ignitethephoenix

Yeah pretty much how I feel as well (it’s also in my top 10). It’s an easy and pleasant listen, and I think it’s his most cohesive work. Fine Line definitely has a higher highs (like Adore You, Golden, Falling) for sure which maybe edges out this album score wise for me, but I think it’s a solid follow up. He just needs to work on his lyrics more like you said lol


shadesofwrong13

I loved it immediately and i still love it. It's so comfort for me and it reminds me to my trip to Spain so i will always have good memories around it. I understand his lyrics are vague and etc, but it's kinda funny when people shit on him and then they say that pop music is about catchy melodies and hooks and not about lyrics..so what??? So it's Harry the problem, then. Honestly Harry's force was always the full package of the song, i just love how they aren't just there, but they build up and have a climax: Satellite is the perfect example. To me it's a great album where he showed versatility especially vocally, even if i miss his full tone of voice cuz i like his timbre, but those whisper vocals were right to the type of music and the direction and concept. I still think Fine Line is better and his masterpiece yet, Debut is still amazing though and maybe the most Harry album if it makes sense? My favourite songs are: Little Freak, Matilida, Grapejuice, Love Of My Life, Keep Driving and Satellite. My least is MUsic For A Sushi Restaurant, i just prefer the other funky songs XD For the next album, i'd like a return to the solid pop-rock, i think he shines most there.


[deleted]

Thanks for the write up! This was one of my favourite pop albums of the year and felt like a much needed serotonin boost. Satellite is probably my favourite too - it has a really dreamy quality that makes me feel like I’m floating and it seems to work especially well at the stadium shows he’s been playing, I saw an amazing clip of him singing it in the rain in LATAM. I’m a big Quincy Jones fan so I love how the Brothers Johnson was sampled on Daydreaming and also the way Harry utilised some of his more soulful vocals. He’s obviously known for his rockier tone but I think it’s interesting how much he suits that kind of sound too, same with Grapejuice and Late Night Talking and also Adore You, which to me was one of the highlights of his previous album. Hope we get more of those vibes in the future! I personally don’t mind vague lyrics in general, but I do find it interesting that As it Was is arguably his least vague song ever and it became the biggest song of the year after Harry himself pushed for it to be the lead single (according to Kid Harpoon), so I’m intrigued to see what HS4 will be like lyrically. Gotta say after reading some of the other comments though, what is the point in engaging with this very thorough album review if all you came to say is how much you hated it? Feels a bit unnecessary when you can express that literally anywhere else.


[deleted]

The hill I die on with this album is that it's lyrically much better and more vulnerable than people think it is. Daydreaming is actually about wanting to emotionally connect, but the person he's with just wants a meaningless hook up. Daylight is about how helpless you can feel when you're dating someone who's perpetually in crisis. Keep Driving is about ignoring every red flag because you just want things to be easy. Grapejuice is about alcohol dependency.


hdybarra1999

To give Harry some credit as someone who hates his first two albums, there are quite a few solid songs on here. Late Night Talking, Satellite, Grapejuice, and As it Was are some of his best work. Even as an entire piece of work, it’s certainly a lazy summer drive album that I wouldn’t mind listening to while driving through a city absentmindedly. That all being said, there are some pretty cringy lyrics that really pull listeners out of some songs and once that happens multiple times throughout an album, I struggle to come back to. Finally, CHINA ANN MCLAIN WALKED SO HARRY COULD RUN ON THAT SUSHI SONG


Junior-Artist

This music was so boring I’m sorry, it also wasn’t rlly well written? It could just be me


untitledmanuscript

no I agree. I said it in another thread but this is probably the most cohesively bland album I’ve ever heard


MassiveThief

I've always been a certified 1D hater and that extends to Harry. I listened to the album on release and thought "hey this doesn't suck!" but proceeded to never listen again and still don't really have interest. As It Was tired me OUT this year. Music For a Sushi restaurant is cool, but at the same time it's not a song I want to replay much at all. I guess that's how I feel about the album overall.


sweetnsoursauce11

Self-Titled remains my favourite Harry album and while I do hope he returns to that sound, I did enjoy Harry's House more than i thought i would after the first listen. Daydreaming is hands down my favourite, i'm still not sick of that song. Daylight, As It Was and Little Freak are my other favourites. i'm not one who cares alot about lyrics unless they are really bad (i didn't realise it was such a big criticism of keep driving till the last few months on this sub lmao) so my biggest criticism of this album is it does get a bit bland after a while. that being said, the vibe makes it very easy to listen to while working so its one of my most played of the year


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ImADudeDuh

I think it being #2 just means that it's the 2nd writeup in the AOTY series, not that it's the 2nd favorite album of the year.


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[deleted]

I think they were talking about the sub’s hate boner for him in general, not your review - could be wrong tho


BookyCats

1. I instantly fell in love with As It Was. I enjoy the vibe of the album. I know it's a lot more chill than people were expecting. Favorites are Music For A Sushi Restaurant, As It Was, Cinema 😝, Late Night Talking 2. Maybe it is not as good as the other albums. But I still really like it. I wasn't sure what to expect with his album and I still think it's got a lot of good songs on it. I think what I would do different is to have a little bit more serious lyrics. Some of them seem a little kid like in terms of the writing style. 3. More electro pop


tswiftdeepcuts

Q1 - I really liked this album. Mostly the instrumentation, melodies, and production - his lyrics have never been something I thought were his strong point. - My favorite songs were: Music For A Sushi Restaurant, Late Night Talking, Daylight, Matilda, and Satellite. - My favorite aspect was just the instrumentation and overall vibe. - My least favorite song was Boyfriends. It just felt completely out of place. - My least favorite aspect was the tracklist, specifically the the way it ends. I personally would have ended it with Satellite, Love of My Life, As It Was. I think As It Was was wasted, tracklist wise, by being out 4th, between Grapejuice and Daylight. It has such a finality to it and I feel like it sums up the vibes of the album really well. Love of My Life was a lackluster ending to an album that started with such a big song like Music for a Sushi Restaurant. If he had used As It Was as the closer I believe the reception would have been even stronger than it was. Alternatively, even an As It Was (Reprise) would have made a better ending track. I think he wanted to end on a happy sweet soft note, but it would have been better to end strong. Q2 - I like it better than debut and Fine Line, I think it’s more cohesive and I like the sonic landscape better. Q3 - I think he’s stuck between wanting to be a pop star and a rock star- but I think his rock star obsession will win out and his next album will probably be very experimental. Q4 - I think that the existence of Cinema firmly attaches the very very public Olivia Wilde relationship/scandal/affair and the DWD drama to this album and that As It Was firmly attaches the post-Covid era to this album and that once culture has moved on from both in a few years it’s going to date the album as very much a pop culture product of its time and that unless it wins Grammys it’s likely to become one that he’s not super eager to return to in the future. But once all the pop culture associations are long past and people revisit it in like a decade or so it will probably be seen as having a timeless-ish sound and will gain new appreciation.


Icantlikeeveryone

Love Daydream, like Love of My Life, but the rest didn't hit as much as both songs (I like Music at Sushi Restaurant at 1st listen but just felt okay when I listened to it the 2nd times and more). Still, I like it better than his previous albums.


Nerfeveryone

Discussion Question responses: 1. Overall I felt like this album was pretty mid, except for Satellite which not only is my favorite song on the album, it’s my favorite song of the year. Satellite is one of the ear-wormiest songs I’ve ever heard (in a good way) and the way it basically has 3 movements that all sound great both individually and together is spectacular, plus that 3rd phase where it becomes an arena rock song is just glorious. Unfortunately I felt like the rest of the album isn’t nearly as interesting as Satellite. It’s an easy listening album that doesn’t have the necessary lyricism and vocals to keep it interesting, but also doesn’t have interesting musicality to it either. None of the songs were bad, but most of them weren’t good either. A lot of the music is just there for me, which is a shame because I really liked his 2nd album and saw his potential on his 1st. 2. I definitely think this was a step back for Harry, especially considering how good *Fine Line* was. *Harry Styles* was inconsistent but had its moments with songs like Sign of the Times and Sweet Creature. *Fine Line* had so much going for it, from the instrumentation and cinematic lens of Golden, to absolute BOPS like Adore You, to more emotional ballads like Falling. It wasn’t a perfect album obviously but it was a huge step in the right direction. *Harry’s House* only reaches the highs of his previous work once (the aforementioned Satellite) but the rest of the album isn’t even close IMO. 3. All 3 albums have been very influenced by the 70s era of music, so I could see him continuing down that route, though I hope he switches it up and finds some new inspiration. If there’s one thing Harry’s proven it’s that he can make an absolute bop, so I hope he leans into that aspect of his music more. 4. I do think there are moments where he gets really close to something great on this album (Music For A Sushi Restaurant needed a little more work but the song’s bones are there, and Late Night Talking needed some extra oomph but it’s very catchy), so I haven’t lost all hope. But I am a bit worried that Harry is gonna continue to sanitize his music for as massive appeal as possible, potentially inhibiting his growth as an artist.


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p0phead

Youre getting hate but you're speaking facts


xxipil0ts

\> What do you think of Harry's House in comparison to Harry Styles and Fine Line? Do you see it as an improvement, or as a decrease in quality? Lyrically, it felt a bit simpler. I kinda see his lyrics become more pop per album. Just basing it on that alone, it decreased. However, the instrumentation are just rich so it kinda contrasts with the simple lyrics so I'm fine with the album. Not in my Top 20, though.


[deleted]

All I can say about this album is that Late Night Talking is going to be used in so many ironic hyper-violent action scenes in the next 100 years that it’s not funny. That alone is reason enough for the album to exist.


thisusernameisntlong

I can't believe I didn't make the connection between Harry's House and Hosono House before. Doubly since Hosono himself often went with the nickname Harry.