Album Review: “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” by Harry Styles

Harry Styles may arguably be the most successful of the One Direction boys since they embarked on their solo careers, but he’s also one of the few rare male pop stars who can move the needle in pop culture conversations while maintaining the persona of a cool guest at your friend’s house party. Harry’s style (no pun intended) has veered from feather boas and glittery jumpsuits to fluid fashion that ignores outdated rules, and he treats style as play rather than performance. His live performances have been celebrations of bravado and joy. And then there’s the music. Harry’s first three albums showcased his versatility in crafting irresistibly catchy melodies with honest and intimate lyrics, all wrapped in sounds of classic rock and pop that brought in comparisons with the likes of David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams. “Fine Line” and “Harry’s House” featured some of the most popular singles of the last decade, with the latter winning the Grammy for Album of the Year. Safe to say, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” (delightfully weird as the album title is) was highly anticipated. Harry revealed that he was heavily inspired by the likes of LCD Soundsystem and the disco-EDM scene. Overall, “Kiss…” marks an interesting foray for Harry to dive in. Unfortunately, the album sounds like a half-hearted attempt at being edgy and interesting, and unfortunately, Harry is the least interesting part of the mix. While a lot of contemporary artists have pivoted to dance music to create some amazing work, such as Beyoncé, FKA Twigs or Jessie Ware, “Kiss…” lacks the punch and sense of adventure you’d expect from a Harry Styles album.

That is not to say “Kiss…” is a bad album. After all, the well Harry is drawing from is brimming with game changing artists. “Season 2 Weight Loss” sounds like a Burial-meets-Aphex Twin track. Lead single “Aperture” takes its sweet time to brew under its linear beats and vaguely uplifting lyrics (“we belong together / it finally appears it’s only love’). “Ready, Steady, Go!” has a thunderous groove that sways into a distorted pre-chorus (“you touched me goodnight / butterflied both our bellies”). “Pop” is one of the catchiest songs here, giving Harry a chance to unleash his silky-smooth voice. Unfortunately, moments where Harry belts out are very few and far between in an album that drenches his voice low in the mix with reverb, and some songs opting to feature his speak-singing (the verses on “Are You Listening Yet?”) with underwhelming results. However, “The Waiting Game” uses his understated vocals to good effect and is one of the most colorful songs on the album. “Carla’s Song” is a beautiful closer and it sounds like a Future Islands song with its bright synths (“you’ve been a baby sleeping upon a candy bar / till your eyes open on the changing summer light”). The rest of the album feels derivative and full of ideas and sounds that have been explored better in LCD Soundsystem or Vampire Weekend records.

Although I felt the album missed the mark and left me wanting more and slightly disappointed, I believe that Harry enjoyed making this album as a statement on living in the moment and being creative among inspirations. To that end, “Kiss…” would be an interesting album for fans as a mile-marker of Harry’s career trajectory. Consider how albums such as Styles’ “Let’s Dance” or “Tonight” by David Bowie were received by public and critics. My review would be incomplete if I did not mention my favorite song in this album: “Coming Up Roses.” Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard recently that explores vulnerability and uncertainty in relationships (“and everything seems to be coming up roses / but I’m scared if we’re both right / does that mean we’re not aligned?”). I wish the quality and lyricism of this song were percolated throughout the rest of the album. However, I believe Harry Styles will keep putting out more urgent, eccentric and wholly realized music in the future!