Music Review: Harry Styles - Harry Styles

The world’s gone wild about Harry. He’s already compared notes about going solo with Paul McCartney and been interviewed by Almost Famous director Cameron Crowe for Rolling Stone. The sensation surrounding the former One Direction member stems from this kaleidoscopic solo debut, in which he remakes himself from boy-band idol to grownup rock star. The album draws from influences ranging from the Beatles and Bowie to Prince. And yet Styles manages to make it personal with intimate confessions. There are hints of glam rock on “Only Angel,” in which he woo-hoos like T-Rex’s Marc Bolan, and soft-rock in “Sweet Creature,” which includes a “Blackbird”-like riff. “You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky,” he sings on the falsetto-laced “Sign of the Times,” with its shades of Pink Floyd. The album ends with “From the Dining Table,” about a lonely night in a hotel room. With the hoopla about his reinvention, Styles won’t be lonely for long.