Following the release of three solo singles — “This Town”, “Slow Hands” and “Too Much to Ask” — Niall Horan released his first full-length single album, “Flicker,” on Friday.
Through his singles released over the past year, Horan has already departed from the boy-band image he and his former One Direction bandmates had gained.
With quick hits on the album like “Flicker” and “Paper Houses,” Horan brings in a folksy style with an unexpectedly twangy voice. The majority of the album has a soft rock ambiance that marries with these folk undertones to result in an intimate coffee shop feel.
Even so, the album as a whole has one problem: when listening to each song consecutively and without interruption, it feels as if many of them could run into one another.
A majority of the tracks start off with a slow tempo that accelerates, peaking in the chorus and then returning to his safe ballad.
This may be fine for a single song, but when it comes to an album, listeners my find themselves longing for more variety.
However, one song on the album, “Slow Hands,” is an exception.
It has a more fun, upbeat feel than the majority of the album. And even though this original single had been completely overplayed on the radio over the summer to a tiring extent, the value of the song shouldn’t be ignored. “Slow Hands” plays an important role in this album breaking up some of the monotony that comes with listening to it in its entirety.
Another song, “Seeing Blind,” has the potential to be the champion of the album as a collaboration between Horan and Maren Morris.
Morris, a country singer, brings her own kind of twang to the song from her background that contrasts Horan’s folksy vibes. Together, the two artists’ styles make “Seeing Blind” a smooth ballad in which even the faster-paced chorus feels like a conversation between the artists.
By addressing one another in the song, the artists allow the the listener to feel as if they are listening in on a conversation between two people in love. The ability for their voices to melt together in the harmonies is clear.
And yet, the song still lacks individuality, and audiences may wish to hear the two break off on their own stylistically. Although the song is pretty to listen to, it lacks purpose and intention when the artists aren’t complimenting one another, so much as singing the lyrics in unison.
In the very beginning of the song, Morris does get a moment to sing on her own, suggesting that there may be hope for the rest of the song, but it falls a bit flat. These two singers are talented independently, so the collaboration sets high hopes that may not be met.
If any song is going to be the breakout hit from this album, it’s “Flicker.” Although not the first song on the album, “Flicker” feels like the beginning, and the rest of the album stems from it. In the ballad, Horan pleads to a girl he loves, suggesting that there is still a flicker of hope for their relationship.
The song is worthy of appreciation in that it doesn’t feel as though he was desperate, but rather that he was resigned and hoping for one last chance. Every other song on the album, all of which are also love songs, seem to stem from this feeling of a wish for love and one more chance.
“Since We’re Alone” maintains a similar conversation to that presented in “Flicker,” and it’s part of what makes Horan’s style so loveable. It is also interesting to hear him sing in the third person in this song, which is rare on the album. The song feels more like he is singing about the girl in the song rather than to her, making for a refreshing difference.
With the album, Horan breaks out from what fans may have been familiar with in the past. He brings an unexpectedly folksy vibe to many of his songs that really draws the listener into conversation with him and his feelings. Each song can truly stand on its own — nevertheless, variety is lacking.