ALBUM REVIEWS
HARRY STYLES Harry Styles Columbia
Listening to Harry Styles’ solo debut, it’s hard to not think of David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Elton John and other rock icons who came decades before the former boy bander.
But despite looking to the past for his sound apart from One Direction, Styles proves he’s worth checking out.
This is a solid set that proves Styles has some other directions, too: Two Ghosts is probably his strongest song; Only Angel and Kiwi is full of Jagger swagger. First single and Top 5 hit, Sign of the Times, is dreamy and melodic.
Styles’ voice varies on each song — in a good way — as he emotes the lyrics like a seasoned star, especially on the simple piano tune From the Dining Table and album opener Meet Me In the Hallway. The performance aspect of the album is where Styles truly shines.
BLONDIE Pollinator BMG
Blondie updates its sound of recent years on Pollinator by returning to some familiar and successful foundations.
Joan Jett joins the band on opener Doom or Destiny, one of the few tracks written by Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein, but its thump sets the right tone.
Long Time, written by Harry and Devonte Hynes (Blood Orange), is a Heart of Glass offshoot and mentions the Bowery, the home of club CBGB where Blondie was an early performer. The nostalgia is justified, “running circles round a night that never ends.”
Fragments starts and ends in a cloud of gloom but the band, propelled by drummer Clem Burke and Harry’s passionate vocals, pulls out the stops during a vigorous middle section. At nearly seven minutes long, there’s plenty of time for the mood changes and it should be a highlight of their shows.
JOAN SHELLEY Joan Shelley No Quarter
Joan Shelley reflects the beauty of simplicity. On her self-titled fourth album, Shelley is often accompanied only by acoustic guitar as producer Jeff Tweedy wisely puts the spotlight on her luminous dimming-of-the-day alto.
More than ever, the Kentuckian explores the connection between the British folk tradition and Appalachia.
Shelley’s lyrics are occasionally undercut by choppy syntax, but she uses distinctive imagery to describe the tug of love — and the tug of the countryside. Graceful melodies adorn the slow, short songs, where subtle variations in tempo and arrangement loom large.
Spencer Tweedy’s subdued drumming lends a swaying lilt to Where I’ll Find You, but the pace remains leisurely throughout, and even Go Wild is a ballad. With a voice like Shelley’s, there’s no need to rush.