Everyone stop what you’re doing, we’ve finally got new a Harry Styles album!
Harry’s third studio album, ‘Harry’s House’, released worldwide on 20 May 2022, follows an almost two-and-a-half year gap with no new music. It was announced across all social media platforms on 23 March 2022. With 13 brand new songs, we could not be more excited to hear it!
So, without further ado, here is my honest review of my first listen to Harry’s House. The album can be streamed on various online music platforms, including Spotify, and is available to buy on vinyl and CD from midnight in your local time on 20 May!
Music For A Sushi Restaurant
Starting off with Music For A Sushi Restaurant. It’s quite ironic that this song is definitely not actually music that I would expect to hear at a sushi restaurant.
Immediately, I could tell that this album was going to make use of lots of synthesizer sounds and funky bass riffs. It had me moving my shoulders to the beat, and got me excited to hear the rest.
Let me tell you, though, the last thing I was expecting to hear was Harry scatting.
Late Night Talking
I really like Late Night Talking. I can see this one being a chart topper, as it has a distinct mainstream sound to it. If it wasn’t for As It Was, I feel like this could’ve been a close contender to be the single song.
This one was among the catchiest for me: very memorable and enjoyable to listen to. It has summertime chill vibes, and I can see myself having this on repeat for a while.
And, wow, the improvements Harry’s made to his voice as he’s grown as an artist. It’s amazing to hear.
Grapejuice
For me, Grapejuice was a bit samey all the way through. I found myself hoping for a build in the song that never came. It was still nice to listen to, but I don’t think I’ll be playing this one much personally.
The crackling sound at the end of the song confused me. I couldn’t tell if it was in the song, if it was rain outside, or if my speaker was playing up. Either way, I can say that it grabbed my attention.
Similar to the last song, though, the improvements in his voice are evident, especially with his ability to sustain high notes. He’s put a lot of work and effort into developing his vocals, and it’s really paid off!
As It Was
As It Was was released as a single on 1 April 2022. With this album teaser song, we got a feel for what kind of sound the album may have. There was also a music video released alongside the single, which can be found below if you haven’t seen that yet.
To me, this song represents the feeling of coming to terms with change, whatever change that may be. Change isn’t always easy to accept, especially if we don’t necessarily want things to change, but sometimes we just have to let it happen.
I think Harry is really expressing his personality and his musical ear with this song and music video. It’s refreshing to see artists be themselves for themselves. It’s clear to see that he’s enjoying making what he’s putting out into the world right now too, which we love to see.
Daylight
I love the way that Daylight starts off light, then more instruments are layered, and, finally, it swings back round to only synthesizer and vocals at the end. The contrast makes this song more enjoyable for me, as it was able to grab and re-grab my attention more than once.
This song fills me with nostalgia. I feel like it’s an old Harry song; one that has been out for a while. It feels familiar. I think it’s pretty cool that a brand new song can do that.
This one goes in my top 5 for sure.
Little Freak
Next, we have Little Freak. This song had a different synth sound to it. I find it so clever that Harry was able to find so many differing synth sounds, so that each song with synth as the main component of it still sounds entirely different from one another.
One of my favourite parts of this song were the vocal arrangements in the chorus. The harmonies work so well together, and the soft guitar section in the middle was just stunning.
Overall, a very calming and pretty song.
Matilda
Matilda sounds almost like a stripped back song at the beginning of it. Much like Daylight, it feels a little bit nostalgic, taking me back to old, acoustic Harry Styles.
I really enjoyed the transition from the previous bunch of upbeat synth songs to the just acoustic guitar and vocals. I find that it makes the listening experience from beginning to end really enjoyable.
The switch from the guitar to the piano was something I wasn’t expecting at all. It was a pleasant switch up that works well with the vocals and the tone of the song. A truly beautiful and meaningful song overall.
Cinema
Oh my gosh, I cannot describe how much I love the bass riff in Cinema. I can see this one also being popular because of the catchy chorus and funky bass. I imagine this one to be a good song to play in the car with the windows down in the summer.
This one is definitely one of my favourites, and I can confidently say I will be listening to this one on repeat for the foreseeable future.
Daydreaming
The beginning of Daydreaming reminds of a 5 Seconds of Summer track.
While I like the high notes in this song, I’m not a fan of the drums on the upbeats. It feels like it’s all build and no peak. It has a very 80’s funk sound to it, though. Not my cup of tea, but still not a bad song.
Keep Driving
The drums at the beginning of Keep Driving were deceiving. It didn’t sound like what I thought it was going to, so I was a bit taken aback when it sounded so joyful.
I like the smoothness and softness of his voice in this song. If I was going to describe any sound as melted chocolate, it would be Harry’s voice in this song.
Also, I find it so impressive that this song is entirely made up of a list of different things. It’s amazing how he can narrate so much through a disconnected list, don’t you think?
Satellite
Satellite is so calming. The sound to this song is so appropriate for summertime. I think this song would be complemented by a music video. Though, if there is no music video, please don’t come for me.
This song makes use of saving percussion and a funky bass riff for the chorus again. I really enjoy that aspect, and this song does it so well. I will definitely be adding this to my ‘on repeat’ playlist!
Boyfriends
I’m conflicted about Boyfriends. I’m not a fan of reversed sections in songs, and since it’s at the beginning of the song, I can’t even skip it like I could if it was at the end.
That being said, I think it’s a really nice transition song to take us to the last song of the album. It’s a lot slower than the rest of the album. It differs a bit from the rest of the album in terms of sound, but it still works. I feel like it reminds us that Harry is a multi-genre artist who still knows what his sound is. It’s a talent to behold.
Love Of My Life
The last song. It has a 1980’s feel to it, similarly to a few of the other songs on this album, so it seems to be a running theme throughout. I sort of get a Rex Orange Country feel with this one.
I love that more instruments are added throughout the first verse; it creates an awesome layering experience where we can hear how each individual instrument affects the sound of the song.
It truly is the best song choice to bring the album to a close.
The takeaway message
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to Harry’s House. It had a real 80’s feel to it in parts, and I love that he was able to incorporate both modern-style synth and acoustic sounds. There weren’t any songs that I thought were misplaced or that I wanted to immediately skip.
Looking back at his previous two albums, ‘Harry Styles’ and ‘Fine Line’, I think Harry’s House shows how mature Harry’s musical style has become. It really is an expression of his individuality and creativity.
What did you think of the album? Are there any songs you’re going to have on repeat? Join in with the discussion on Twitter or in the comments!
