Latest / The Tortured Fans Department / Ep. 40 - 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.' - Harry Styles (Album Review)

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Ep. 40 - 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.' - Harry Styles (Album Review) · The Tortured Fans Department

0:20
SPEAKER_02: Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the Tortured Fans Department podcast.
0:26
SPEAKER_02: As always, I'm your host, Sean Boyle, and joining me today is the music man, the man behind the introduction music.
0:32
SPEAKER_02: You guys know him well at this point.
0:34
SPEAKER_02: It is Mr.
0:35
SPEAKER_02: Ryan Amaday.
0:36
SPEAKER_02: Ryan, how are you?
0:38
SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great.
0:38
SPEAKER_01: I hope the listeners aren't sick of me.
0:40
SPEAKER_01: I feel like I'm making more regular appearances day by day.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: I hope they don't mind my voice, but uh glad to be here again.
0:46
SPEAKER_02: No, we are glad to have you.
0:48
SPEAKER_02: You're becoming a regular, as we talked about on these music shows.
0:51
SPEAKER_02: You're the only one of my friends that has really a clue about the ins and outs of music.
0:56
SPEAKER_02: So we're we're thrilled to have you back on.
0:59
SPEAKER_02: Today we are reviewing Harry Styles' latest album, which of course has a pretty unique name.
1:07
SPEAKER_02: If you guys have not heard it yet, it is Kiss All the Time, Disco occasionally.
1:11
SPEAKER_02: We're a bit late on the album review, and we have some differing opinions on this one.
1:15
SPEAKER_02: So I'm excited to get into it.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to get into it.
1:20
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna try to be tame.
1:21
SPEAKER_01: I've I've given this album a couple of listens at this point, and uh, we'll get into my thought process here, but looking forward to getting down to the nitty-gritty with you.
1:30
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, this album came out about a month ago at this point.
1:32
SPEAKER_02: Try to let the music marinate and settle in before we just jump to instant reactions.
1:37
SPEAKER_02: So we like to give it a little bit of time.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: Ideally, we would have brought this podcast your way a couple weeks sooner, but there's some scheduling conflicts.
1:43
SPEAKER_02: Listen, we're busy guys, so I think I think we're officially ready to dive in.
1:48
SPEAKER_02: Let's do it.
1:49
SPEAKER_02: All right, opening questions for you, Ryan.
1:52
SPEAKER_02: Just for some context for the listeners, why don't we share your familiarity level with Harry's music going into this album?
1:59
SPEAKER_02: Are you someone who knows his full catalog?
2:01
SPEAKER_02: Do you like his music?
2:02
SPEAKER_02: What are your thoughts on Mr.
2:03
SPEAKER_02: Styles?
2:04
SPEAKER_01: I would say I dabble in the way that I have listened to and know probably more than like the average is like radio listener, but not nearly as much as you.
2:16
SPEAKER_01: So I mean I've I've listened to all of his music.
2:18
SPEAKER_01: There's a couple songs on each album that are kind of in my rotation.
2:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, some really good early stuff.
2:24
SPEAKER_01: I was going back and looking through like the catalog earlier.
2:26
SPEAKER_01: There's obviously only a couple albums, but you know, obviously Sign of the Times is the big one.
2:30
SPEAKER_01: But Sweet Creature is a really nice little acoustic tune that I like.
2:33
SPEAKER_01: But I'm not by any means like this giant Harry Styles fan.
2:36
SPEAKER_02: I think that's well said.
2:38
SPEAKER_02: I think that sums up your listenership to him pretty well.
2:41
SPEAKER_02: I would consider myself a day one rider.
2:44
SPEAKER_02: I love his voice.
2:45
SPEAKER_02: I have a couple of his records that I own, and they get a lot of spin on my vinyl player.
2:50
SPEAKER_02: I think he's just a really good pop star.
2:53
SPEAKER_02: And I don't think we have a ton of good male pop stars, so I think he fills a void for me in my listening rotation, and I'm happy to have him there.
3:01
SPEAKER_02: What were your thoughts on his most previous work, which was Harry's House?
3:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that one I actually liked uh uh quite a bit.
3:08
SPEAKER_01: Um, there was some some really good range.
3:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I thought it was raw in a lot of places, which I think sweet thought were where it's a little bit more tripped on a neaky kind of there's a place and it's simplified.
3:21
SPEAKER_01: There's different grooves and feels I thought actually were were pretty unique and work together on that album.
3:25
SPEAKER_01: So overall, I actually was a pretty big fan of that album through and through.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: I thought the the sushi restaurant song was was pretty good, a cool way to start it.
3:34
SPEAKER_01: Like some unique again, pop music that I enjoyed.
3:36
SPEAKER_01: What about you?
3:37
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I loved Harry's House.
3:39
SPEAKER_02: I thought that was his most complete body of work.
3:41
SPEAKER_02: I liked a lot from his original two releases, but I thought Harry's House was the most complete.
3:48
SPEAKER_02: I thought it added a lot of different elements.
3:50
SPEAKER_02: It showed different kind of different grooves, like you said, different feels to a lot of songs.
3:54
SPEAKER_02: So I was all in on that, and that set the bar pretty high for what I was expecting in this record.
3:59
SPEAKER_02: Let's get into it.
4:00
SPEAKER_02: I'm not so sure it lived up to that hype.
4:04
SPEAKER_02: What was your initial reaction after your first listen?
4:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you mentioned that we didn't record this instantly after it came out, and it's probably good we didn't because uh in my initial through this album was uh I thought it was pretty heinous, to be honest.
4:19
SPEAKER_01: Now I have settled back on that on that take a little bit, and we'll get into it song by song and overall.
4:24
SPEAKER_01: But my first initial reaction was just this thing is overproduced to shreds, and there's very little rawness, authenticity.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: It just felt too experimental.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I still feel that way in a lot of regards, and we'll talk through song by song.
4:40
SPEAKER_01: But that was my first listen was like, man, like felt like a swing and a miss to me.
4:44
SPEAKER_02: I'll be honest, I kind of had similar feelings through the first several songs of the record.
4:50
SPEAKER_02: It started and I just couldn't get into it.
4:53
SPEAKER_02: I would like a little pocket of a song, and then something would happen, it would make me instantly dislike that.
4:59
SPEAKER_02: And I thought there was a lot of experimentation going on, and I couldn't really get into it.
5:04
SPEAKER_02: Like I usually love bopping my head and tapping my toes, and I was getting like a couple seconds of that, and then I would get thrown off and be like, Whoa, that was a choice.
5:13
SPEAKER_02: So it was really it was really confusing early.
5:17
SPEAKER_02: I will say though, as I was listening to it the first time, around the sixth or seventh song, I started to settle into a bit of groove and was like, okay, I really liked it the rest of the way through.
5:27
SPEAKER_02: So a little bit different from you, I was able to find my footing through a couple haymakers early, and I was like, whoa, almost out on my feet, but I regrouped and I found my footing and I really enjoyed the second half of the album.
5:38
SPEAKER_01: Um the subsequent times that I listen, I've I've come to a similar conclusion.
5:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, probably not as high on it as you still, but able to at least appreciate some of the tunes a little bit more, even add some to uh, you know, a few of my rotation playlists.
5:54
SPEAKER_02: So there we go.
5:55
SPEAKER_02: And that's what this podcast is for.
5:56
SPEAKER_02: Hey, we're not telling you how to feel, we're gonna provide different opinions.
5:59
SPEAKER_02: And like always, I think we could probably meet in the middle somewhere.
6:02
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
6:03
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
6:04
SPEAKER_01: Why don't you tell us a little bit about the album?
6:05
SPEAKER_01: I know you always do your research.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: What do you got for me?
6:08
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I appreciate that.
6:09
SPEAKER_02: So a little bit of background.
6:11
SPEAKER_02: The album charted well.
6:12
SPEAKER_02: It had the biggest opening week for a male solo artist in the UK since Mr.
6:17
SPEAKER_02: Ed Sheeran in 2017 with his multiply record.
6:21
SPEAKER_02: That is our guy.
6:22
SPEAKER_01: That is a huge, huge accomplishment for Mr.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: Harry to be in such a legendary company.
6:28
SPEAKER_02: And it reminded me, and I just want to try to remind the listeners of just how big Harry is.
6:34
SPEAKER_02: I was on Tiny Desk the other day because there's been a few that have come out in the last week or so that were very good.
6:40
SPEAKER_02: And I was just flipping through their catalog, and I saw that Harry Styles had 34 million views on his tiny desk.
6:48
SPEAKER_02: And just to just to kind of contextualize that, that's five million more than Taylor Swift has on hers.
6:54
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
6:55
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's the kind of level of pop star that Harry Styles is worldwide.
6:59
SPEAKER_02: And I think that kind of goes a little bit under the radar here in the United States.
7:04
SPEAKER_01: That's a jarring statistic on that tiny desk view count.
7:09
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Taylor Swift, there's no one bigger than Taylor Swift, and in my opinion, in my eyes, right?
7:13
SPEAKER_01: Like I think according to Musical World, but maybe I'm wrong.
7:16
SPEAKER_01: That's incredible.
7:17
SPEAKER_02: I thought it was Messi Ronaldo Swift.
7:22
SPEAKER_02: That's how I saw it.
7:23
SPEAKER_02: So I was stunned to see that statistic.
7:26
SPEAKER_02: Also, this broke Sam Fender's record for vinyl sold in the first week, which I have to say is tough stuff because I'm a big Sam Fender guy, and I thought people watching was definitely a better record.
7:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I would definitely agree.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: I think the you know name recognition is gonna play a huge factor here.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: Also, interesting, I haven't seen a vinyl uh record count in uh a minute.
7:50
SPEAKER_01: So you you really dug deep on this, huh?
7:52
SPEAKER_02: We're on an initiative here at the Torture Fans to bring back vinyls.
7:56
SPEAKER_02: So any kind of vinyl statistics we could throw your way, we're gonna feed you them.
8:00
SPEAKER_01: I am officially in the vinyl game.
8:03
SPEAKER_01: I bought a news record player a couple weeks ago off Facebook Marketplace.
8:08
SPEAKER_01: Need to go to the local record store, but very excited to get back in the in the game.
8:13
SPEAKER_02: That is that we should do a whole podcast on that.
8:17
SPEAKER_02: That's exciting stuff.
8:19
SPEAKER_02: Once I up my game, we'll do it.
8:21
SPEAKER_02: A little bit more background on the album.
8:23
SPEAKER_02: All songs were written by Harry himself, along with Thomas Hole, who is also known as Kid Harpoon, and Tyler Johnson.
8:30
SPEAKER_02: So the three of those guys wrote everything.
8:32
SPEAKER_02: Kid Harpoon has worked with Harry on all of his records, and to my knowledge, has been the most instrumental person in all of his records, aside from Harry himself, of course.
8:42
SPEAKER_02: And Tyler Johnson has been there along the way for Harry's career as well.
8:46
SPEAKER_02: So this trio is very familiar with one another and they have done a lot of work together.
8:51
SPEAKER_02: And I would say that that's kind of impressive because all of the albums have a different sound and feel to them, so that they're they're at least able to be multifaceted and produce some different things.
9:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, big ups and respect to to Harry for having that kind of small circle as far as songwriting goes.
9:05
SPEAKER_01: I will get to that.
9:06
SPEAKER_01: Whether or not I produce every decision that gets made, you never know how many ghostwriters are on every song that gets big nowadays.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: So I will say that I really respect the ability to have that creativity and write songs like that in a small group.
9:20
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and a little bit of background about Kid Harpoon.
9:23
SPEAKER_02: He has produced records from Florence in the Machine, Sean Mendez, Miley Cyrus, and most importantly, Maggie Rogers.
9:31
SPEAKER_02: He produced most of her surrender album and also the song Light On.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: I will say Surrender was my least favorite Maggie record.
9:39
SPEAKER_02: So maybe a strike against Kid Harpoon, but Light On is a banger, though.
9:45
SPEAKER_02: True.
9:51
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
9:53
SPEAKER_02: It's one of the best ever.
9:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:56
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm curious for which uh Mendez album because he's got some really good early stuff.
10:01
SPEAKER_01: I'm curious if that's I'm I'd be curious if he's on the earlier end or kind of more later or like poppy end.
10:06
SPEAKER_02: And I a better podcast host would have that answer for you.
10:09
SPEAKER_02: I do not.
10:09
SPEAKER_02: Tyler Tyler Johnson, meanwhile, has produced for Miley as well.
10:13
SPEAKER_02: Notably for him, though, he was an engineer on Taylor Swift's Red Record and Ed Sheeran's Multiply, which are two heavy hitters in the Boyle household.
10:23
SPEAKER_01: Heavy.
10:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, wow, those are two of the probably bigger albums of the last, I don't know, two decades or so, right?
10:31
SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's that's pretty insane.
10:33
SPEAKER_02: And while only an engineer, so he wasn't exactly producing either of those, but I mean, to be a part of two special albums like that, you definitely you definitely know what you're doing.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: You know your way around recording studio.
10:43
SPEAKER_02: In the room making magic like that.
10:45
SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's pretty dang good.
10:46
SPEAKER_02: All right, let's do it.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: The song by song breakdown.
10:49
SPEAKER_02: We'll start, we're gonna go front to back, of course, and we'll start with Aperture, which was the big single from the album.
10:56
SPEAKER_02: So this one was out first.
10:58
SPEAKER_02: What were your thoughts on Aperture?
11:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, gonna just get right into it.
11:05
SPEAKER_01: This one was just not my speed.
11:06
SPEAKER_01: It was not my vibe.
11:08
SPEAKER_01: I if I never heard the song again, I wouldn't be too upset.
11:12
SPEAKER_01: Uh it just felt jumble.
11:15
SPEAKER_01: It felt like there, I I could I could barely even tell what key the song was at.
11:19
SPEAKER_01: Like it's just like it does nothing for me musically.
11:22
SPEAKER_01: I'm very sorry.
11:24
SPEAKER_01: I could see it playing in like a dark club at 1 a.m., I guess.
11:27
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's got that kind of to it, but that's just like not by speed, not really what I tend to be listening to.
11:33
SPEAKER_01: So um we'll probably not go back to this one uh unless it happens to pop up somewhere in my life.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: But uh, what do you got?
11:39
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm actually not too far off from you here.
11:42
SPEAKER_02: This one, it did not do much for me.
11:46
SPEAKER_02: The first time I heard it, it grew on me a bit after I saw his performance during the Brit Awards, where he did a really cool choreographed dance and had like a big band ensemble performing it.
11:56
SPEAKER_02: I thought that was a better version of the song, but it is not something I'm ever going to be seeking out.
12:03
SPEAKER_02: It just goes on for too long, too.
12:05
SPEAKER_02: There's just like an extra minute and a half at the end that we just don't need.
12:10
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, all right, it's gotta be almost over.
12:13
SPEAKER_02: And then he's just still, it's like a it's like it almost feels like a rave or a club to me at this age of my life.
12:20
SPEAKER_02: It's like, yeah, hey, I'm good, dude.
12:22
SPEAKER_02: I I I saw it, it was cool for five minutes, and now I'm ready to go.
12:26
SPEAKER_02: And this song feels like being a 30-year-old at a rave looking around and saying, you know what, this isn't for me.
12:35
SPEAKER_01: Well, I got bad news for both of us.
12:37
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we are the 30-year-olds at the rave when this song comes on, and that's why we don't like it.
12:42
SPEAKER_01: Maybe I don't think this one was for us.
12:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:45
SPEAKER_01: We were the target audience here.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: No, it was not, and that's okay.
12:50
SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah.
12:51
SPEAKER_01: So we're on the same page here that we're not.
12:54
SPEAKER_02: Next up is American Girls.
12:57
SPEAKER_02: I'll let you take the lead on this one as well.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, the the bar got set kind of low, so this one did clear it.
13:05
SPEAKER_01: I thought it was better, but I also still was not in love with it.
13:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh the chorus melody felt a little strange to me.
13:13
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I I get how it could be like memorable or like you know, if you go back to the well on it, but I just in general, just am lukewarm on it.
13:23
SPEAKER_01: I do like the piano core changes, like there's some cool like textures there.
13:28
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and there's like a cool little like synth solo thing that happens at the end um in the back of the chorus at the at the last chorus.
13:36
SPEAKER_01: Would I prefer there'd be like a real instrument though doing that instead of like some weird synth?
13:41
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I think that would have been a perfect place for a nice little guitar solo or something like that.
13:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh that's just my musical taste being exposed.
13:48
SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, overall was like was pretty lukewarm on this song.
13:52
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, this one grew on me a bit.
13:54
SPEAKER_02: As I mentioned earlier, the first half of the album I was kind of lost, dazed and confused, trying to figure it out.
14:00
SPEAKER_02: So this one got lost in the shuffle a bit the first time I heard it.
14:03
SPEAKER_02: It's grown on me.
14:03
SPEAKER_02: I think I do think it's catchy, but I I would sum it up as for our baseball fans, I would say it has warning track power.
14:09
SPEAKER_02: I think it has potential to be a real summer smash hit.
14:13
SPEAKER_02: The American girls concept, the chorus, it's it starts to build to something, but then ultimately in that chorus, I think it just falls a little bit short, like a note or two shy of an anthem that everybody could really wrap their arms around.
14:27
SPEAKER_02: And I still think it's going to be one of the more successful songs from the album, just when you have a hot British guy singing about American girls, and that's gonna play.
14:36
SPEAKER_02: I just think it could have been a little bit better.
14:39
SPEAKER_02: So I I just feel a little disappointed with this one, but it's also one that I wouldn't hate if it slipped into my rotation.
14:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and to be fair, I think I'm putting this on all I'm rating, rating this on the scale like against himself.
14:53
SPEAKER_01: Like that's what that's the kind of metric that I'm using here.
14:55
SPEAKER_01: So like I I feel I I know that he has capacity to make awesome, awesome music, and so I'm judging the bar based on that and on my personal stuff.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: Lukewarm fell kind of short.
15:07
SPEAKER_01: I I would agree too with uh what you said about there there is like smash hit potential, but it doesn't quite hit the notch that it needs to to get there.
15:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the launch angle just was a little bit off.
15:20
SPEAKER_02: You know, just got under it.
15:23
SPEAKER_02: Let's talk about the third song, ready, steady, go.
15:26
SPEAKER_02: I'll kick us off.
15:28
SPEAKER_02: A lot going on here, just a lot of noise, might be a bit too experimental for me, and also the songwriting doesn't come in and save the day.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you could have a few elements of a good song, and one part gets lost in the shuffle.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: I think we were just lost in the sauce here.
15:47
SPEAKER_02: This was somewhere along the way, Mr.
15:50
SPEAKER_02: Kid Harpoon, Harry, Tyler Johnson, we just got a little bit lost in the sauce.
15:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, this is um the overarching theme for this album for me is that the songs that I like for the most part, there's some element of them that make them almost unlistenable.
16:06
SPEAKER_01: And this is a great example.
16:08
SPEAKER_01: I actually don't mind the song, like for the most part.
16:11
SPEAKER_01: I think it's a it it's it's got like a decent groove, but that little descending synth in the chorus thing like legitimately makes the song unlistenable.
16:20
SPEAKER_01: Like I don't I really cannot see it being played anywhere outside of like a club where everyone's on LSD at 3 a.m.
16:27
SPEAKER_01: Like other than that, it's really truly unlistenable.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: And it's a shame, truly, because I I think it's a decent bones and structure to the song outside of that.
16:36
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, shout out Marin Morris.
16:38
SPEAKER_02: The bones are good, yeah, but truly that synth does ruin it a lot.
16:44
SPEAKER_02: It's tough, it's tough.
16:46
SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't know why it's there, and I don't know why it's so prevalent either.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: Like it could have just been more subtle and more in the background, but it's like really hitting you in the face.
16:58
SPEAKER_02: It's a strong odor, and I I just don't love it.
17:03
SPEAKER_02: And it I do agree there is a element to it that has a good song in there, so I would agree it's a shame that the synth does steal the show in in a not so positive way.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, man.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: Listening, yeah.
17:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, track four.
17:17
SPEAKER_02: I really don't like the intro.
17:19
SPEAKER_02: It's almost anxiety-inducing.
17:20
SPEAKER_02: It is something about it really rubs me the wrong way.
17:23
SPEAKER_02: And now, listeners, you might be at this point saying, Hey, Sean, we're four songs in and you haven't been super gleeful about this album.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: You're not really throwing a lot of praise.
17:31
SPEAKER_02: Trust me, it is coming.
17:33
SPEAKER_02: I do think there's some really cool percussion in here during the pre-chorus and chorus, but then the melody of the verses loses me again.
17:40
SPEAKER_02: And it's something about the way those verses are structured that I just don't connect with would answer your question.
17:47
SPEAKER_02: Uh, are you listening yet to the album?
17:49
SPEAKER_02: Uh, not super closely at this point.
17:51
SPEAKER_02: We're four songs in and yet haven't grabbed me yet.
17:54
SPEAKER_01: Similar wavelength on this one.
17:56
SPEAKER_01: I I totally agree.
17:57
SPEAKER_01: I think the the talking intro versus it's just a tough listen.
18:01
SPEAKER_01: Like, man, like what we don't have to be all the it's just you're just doing too much because I agree.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: I thought the marching snare bot as as a as a marching snare drummer myself, shout out Temple Diamond Band, Greatest Band Volin, Macy's Day Parade, 100 Year Anniversary.
18:18
SPEAKER_01: That to me was like a cool little like unique thing.
18:22
SPEAKER_01: Like it's put on the song, chorus was decent.
18:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, okay, this is like listenable, it's cool, and then boom, right back.
18:27
SPEAKER_01: I'll like just talk versus like I I I don't get it.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: And and it feels again like to go continue with your baseball analogy.
18:36
SPEAKER_01: It's like when a team when a team pitches well, but then they can't get a hit, or the team scores eight runs and the pitchers give up 11.
18:45
SPEAKER_01: It's like you can't both things are not working together cohesively, and that's the second time already, and it's gonna continue to be a theme for me where if something something isn't working, but then something else isn't it it just like ruins it for me.
18:58
SPEAKER_02: Yep, I think that's well said.
19:00
SPEAKER_02: And I would say, I'd like to point out, I think track five, Taste Back, we start to find our footing a little bit.
19:07
SPEAKER_02: I'm not saying it's one of my favorites yet, or we're in the good part of the album, but I think we're on the right track at this point.
19:13
SPEAKER_02: Why don't you take it away?
19:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do agree with that.
19:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh it was like very low risk, very um show vibe.
19:21
SPEAKER_01: I said I it it sounded almost like uh to be in like a car commercial or something like that.
19:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh good vibe, good rhythm.
19:28
SPEAKER_01: The chorus is unique uh with the vocals.
19:30
SPEAKER_01: I kind of like the syndicated riff and I uh I use the word tame.
19:34
SPEAKER_01: I think it's just tame solid is a chorus, a little bit more wall, which is what I'm looking for.
19:39
SPEAKER_01: Not nearly as overproduced as a lot of the early songs.
19:42
SPEAKER_01: So uh I am on board, but this is at least getting back on the right track.
19:46
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the opening lyrics are not quite here we go again, but how have you been?
19:50
SPEAKER_02: And immediately it takes you into that mode of ex-lover, not quite all the way back in, but eh, how you how you doing?
19:58
SPEAKER_02: You know, just a little feeler text.
20:00
SPEAKER_02: You not quite a you up, but just checking the vibes.
20:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm a sucker for any song that mentions Paris, just imagery-wise, it does a lot for me.
20:10
SPEAKER_02: I love Paris, and anytime you can work Paris into your music, I'm gonna be more of a fan of it than not.
20:17
SPEAKER_02: And I do love how the you just need a little love lyric hits the ears.
20:21
SPEAKER_02: I think the way he sings that's good.
20:23
SPEAKER_02: Did you get your taste back?
20:24
SPEAKER_02: I think it's a well-written pop song.
20:27
SPEAKER_02: But overall, I think this is a good one.
20:29
SPEAKER_02: It's catchy, and I like the chorus a lot.
20:31
SPEAKER_02: So we're we're getting on the right track here.
20:33
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
20:35
SPEAKER_02: Track six is the waiting game.
20:38
SPEAKER_02: Another one that where the sound uh there's just something experimental going on in the verses that stops me from loving it, but the chorus is super catchy and tries to make up for it.
20:49
SPEAKER_02: So it does a good job of masking some some of the flaws that it has for me, but I'm not going to be raving about this one.
20:56
SPEAKER_02: It just again, like we keep mentioning with this album, there's just something in the way for each one of these songs.
21:03
SPEAKER_02: And it's like an in-betweener.
21:05
SPEAKER_02: It's not really a pop radio hit, and it's not a ballad, and I don't know what it's trying to be.
21:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, dude, I actually really like the song at its core.
21:14
SPEAKER_01: I think it's a a good chorus.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: Like I can hear it in my head, and the acoustic is good, and then that dumb, big synth again, just like just smashing through the middle of a good song for what?
21:28
SPEAKER_01: Like for what reason?
21:30
SPEAKER_01: It's it's so frustrating that I really genuinely like the the bass, the core of the song.
21:37
SPEAKER_01: And it's like again, like, can I even listen to it?
21:40
SPEAKER_01: Can I go back and listen to the song?
21:42
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
21:42
SPEAKER_01: Like, I'll try.
21:43
SPEAKER_01: I hope so.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: But that synth is really obnoxious and gets in the way of what I think is a genuinely good tune.
21:49
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think I keep realizing as we go through the album, I keep saying there's one thing that gets in the way, and a lot of times the synth has been at just like there in the corner with its hands up.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: Saying it wasn't me, but it it's you, dude.
22:02
SPEAKER_02: It's you, the synth.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: I really hear about that.
22:06
SPEAKER_01: I uh I wish Spotify had a feature where I could like have the stems and just like cut out certain things and like like this would be a song I would go back to over and over if I had a button where I could just get rid of the synth.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: Easily make a couple of my playlists, but it's just that that factor, you're right.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: It's like, oh it wasn't me.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: No, it is you, Synth.
22:24
SPEAKER_02: It's like what are we doing here?
22:26
SPEAKER_02: Mr.
22:26
SPEAKER_02: Simp, settle down, please.
22:28
SPEAKER_02: Mix it in water, Mr.
22:29
SPEAKER_02: Synth.
22:30
SPEAKER_02: Because you are crazy.
22:33
SPEAKER_02: Track seven is season two weight loss, which is quite the title.
22:37
SPEAKER_02: Ryan, what were your thoughts on this one?
22:41
SPEAKER_01: Such a weird title.
22:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh the the per question is a little bit you need a stole your idea on our artwork.
22:48
SPEAKER_01: I do, I do think it has kind of that Lincoln kind of like percussion vibe.
22:51
SPEAKER_01: I like that that reference that you brought up.
22:53
SPEAKER_01: So I'll give you a shout out there.
22:55
SPEAKER_01: I think there's similarly, like the bones are cool, but it also just feels very generic without this.
23:04
SPEAKER_01: Like I there's nothing about it to me that was like really, really good or really, really bad.
23:09
SPEAKER_01: It was just like, okay, here this feels like a super generic pop song to me.
23:12
SPEAKER_02: So I I will probably never go back to I think this marks the official turning point for me of we've we've got good songs the rest of the way through, in my opinion.
23:21
SPEAKER_02: And I don't think this one stacks up to those.
23:24
SPEAKER_02: I would rank the remaining songs above this one, but I do think it's good.
23:27
SPEAKER_02: It keeps me engaged throughout, and it doesn't have that factor that I hate.
23:31
SPEAKER_02: It doesn't have a part of the song that I'm willing to eliminate or wanting to eliminate.
23:35
SPEAKER_02: It's just kind of there.
23:36
SPEAKER_02: It's well paced, keeps you engaged, a little toe tapper.
23:40
SPEAKER_02: And again, I think it marks a sign of better things to come.
23:44
SPEAKER_02: Agree.
23:45
SPEAKER_02: We talked about the Lincoln Park in preparation.
23:47
SPEAKER_02: I can't unhear that.
23:49
SPEAKER_02: It's like that punk rock drum.
23:51
SPEAKER_02: And it's interesting.
23:53
SPEAKER_02: I'm not sure it fits well with the rest of the album, but it's a little bit of a curveball.
23:58
SPEAKER_02: It's there.
23:58
SPEAKER_02: It's not, again, one I'm going to be revisiting a ton.
24:02
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
24:03
SPEAKER_01: Shout out to you.
24:03
SPEAKER_01: You have a very mini year for that stuff.
24:05
SPEAKER_01: I would not have come up with that.
24:06
SPEAKER_01: But the Lincoln Park thing's spot on, so kudos.
24:09
SPEAKER_02: It's truly crazy how little musical talent I have for well how well I hear music.
24:15
SPEAKER_01: Like, I can't.
24:17
SPEAKER_01: It's just untapped.
24:18
SPEAKER_01: That's all.
24:18
SPEAKER_01: You just have to give it a fair shot, I think.
24:20
SPEAKER_02: It's so untapped.
24:22
SPEAKER_02: I'm very good at being like, hey, this sounds like that.
24:24
SPEAKER_02: And that skill is worth basically nothing in life, except I'm pretty good at naming that tune.
24:29
SPEAKER_02: Shout out.
24:29
SPEAKER_02: I mean, meme that team tournament of champions like champions participant.
24:33
SPEAKER_02: We did not win at that time of recording, but did participate.
24:40
SPEAKER_01: All right, well, track track eight.
24:42
SPEAKER_01: What do you got?
24:42
SPEAKER_01: Coming up Roses.
24:44
SPEAKER_02: I like this one.
24:45
SPEAKER_02: Here is a ballad.
24:46
SPEAKER_02: Harry's always going to give us one or two of these an album.
24:50
SPEAKER_02: It sounds like a waltz.
24:52
SPEAKER_02: The bump, bump, bump, bump.
24:53
SPEAKER_02: It's like the dancing waltz.
24:56
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely love the strings.
24:58
SPEAKER_02: One of the reasons I've been drawn to Harry's music is I think he is equal parts capable of writing that summer hip hop song and a really strong ballad that can hold up in each album.
25:08
SPEAKER_02: I'm not sure this hits the highest highs as some of those other ones have done in the past, but I do think it's really good.
25:16
SPEAKER_02: It gives his voice a chance to shine, and it gives the album a different feel than the rest of the songs.
25:21
SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad that this one's on there.
25:23
SPEAKER_02: I think it's a beautiful moment for Harry and the strings to end this one.
25:26
SPEAKER_02: I think start to finish, good song.
25:30
SPEAKER_01: Agree.
25:31
SPEAKER_01: And this is again where I feel like the sweet spot is of him and where I feel like he really shines is when you can hear the raw vocals when it's stripped back.
25:39
SPEAKER_01: Like my biggest gripe with all these songs is just how overproduced they are, and not necessarily like the songwriting itself.
25:45
SPEAKER_01: And so for me, this is like let's just strip it all back.
25:48
SPEAKER_01: Let's get you in a room with an orchestra and just like let it rip.
25:51
SPEAKER_01: And that worked for me.
25:53
SPEAKER_01: Um, I thought there were some really cool melodies and harmonies in the chorus.
25:56
SPEAKER_01: That ending is has this kind of like epic, like movie score kind of feel to it.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: Um and it's just like really nice and refreshing after being pummeled to death by that freaking synth.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: So uh really enjoyed this.
26:09
SPEAKER_01: Reprieved.
26:11
SPEAKER_02: Synth won't let up.
26:13
SPEAKER_02: It just keeps punching me.
26:15
SPEAKER_01: You get deep down over and over, and then here come these the violins, and you're like, oh, finally I can breathe again.
26:22
SPEAKER_02: Thing I'm gonna point out here track number nine is pop, which a huge fan of.
26:26
SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna let you take the lead first, but a shout out to the bass.
26:30
SPEAKER_02: I think the bass player throughout the whole album has been pretty good, and it really shines on this one.
26:35
SPEAKER_01: I agree with that, and I wish that I uh had had more compound on that.
26:39
SPEAKER_01: So good call out.
26:41
SPEAKER_01: Um agreed.
26:42
SPEAKER_01: This one I after a couple more listens, like this is my favorite tune on this album, I think.
26:47
SPEAKER_01: Um for me, it it really works.
26:50
SPEAKER_01: Something about this chord progression, like just hits for me.
26:53
SPEAKER_01: Those guitar accents are really cool.
26:55
SPEAKER_01: The chorus melody, I think, is super etchy.
26:58
SPEAKER_01: It's got this kind of shuffled root on the drums, which works for me, you know.
27:01
SPEAKER_01: As a drummer, I really appreciate stuff like that, something unique.
27:04
SPEAKER_01: Um, and what it's definitely just like one of the couple on this album that I have added to my kind of rotation and will continue to listen to and enjoy um every time when it comes on, I'm like it feels like an old song that I've known, but I haven't just had it in the rotation for a couple of weeks now and I've really liked it.
27:20
SPEAKER_01: So pop is a winner for me.
27:23
SPEAKER_02: I think I heard this on every single album, which is one of my favorite podcasts.
27:27
SPEAKER_02: They do a great job over there, but they compared Harry Styles to Dua Lipa.
27:33
SPEAKER_02: And I think in terms of songwriting, I could kind of see that.
27:36
SPEAKER_02: They're both very good at writing pop songs, and Harry has a bit more in his artistical bag than Dua does in terms of getting to that next level of songwriting.
27:46
SPEAKER_02: I don't think either of them will be remembered as outstanding songwriters by any means.
27:50
SPEAKER_02: They lack just something killer that I think Gracie Abrams has and Taylor Swift has and Spades and some of those other pop stars have, that extra element.
27:57
SPEAKER_02: They don't have that, but I think this one is the perfect synopsis of what Harry's pop songwriting is like, no pun intended.
28:07
SPEAKER_02: It's just it builds really nicely that the pop in the chorus almost sounds like an onomonopoeia.
28:12
SPEAKER_02: It's like physically popping.
28:14
SPEAKER_02: So I think that's I think that's well written and it the song builds so well to that moment.
28:20
SPEAKER_02: So I'm a big fan of how he structured this one.
28:23
SPEAKER_02: Also, he references pop in a great track from Harry's House, Cinema.
28:28
SPEAKER_02: You pop when we get into which is a great tune.
28:32
SPEAKER_02: So that's a pop theme in a pop song is something that Harry keeps revisiting, and I think it's a good idea.
28:38
SPEAKER_02: I think there has I think it has some weight to it.
28:41
SPEAKER_01: Agree.
28:42
SPEAKER_01: Cinema is one of my favorites by him for sure.
28:44
SPEAKER_01: This is a song that I really am anticipating a great live version for.
28:49
SPEAKER_01: I think they're the bones are there for like this awesome arrangement.
28:54
SPEAKER_01: Some really cool drum parts, bass-proven, maybe like some political accents.
28:58
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's a couple horns in there or something.
29:01
SPEAKER_01: I don't know, but like this this feels like the song of this album that on live version would go so hard.
29:07
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
29:08
SPEAKER_02: And I think it would be just a playful song for everybody to get in the mix on.
29:13
SPEAKER_02: Nobody's having a bad time listening to pop.
29:16
SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
29:17
SPEAKER_02: It's just it's just just a good tune.
29:20
SPEAKER_02: And I'm gonna stay, I think we disagree on this one a little bit.
29:24
SPEAKER_02: Track 10 is Dance No More.
29:26
SPEAKER_02: I'm all in, Ryan.
29:28
SPEAKER_02: I'm all in.
29:29
SPEAKER_02: That's I'm gonna, I'm gonna actually throw the ball to you first, and I want to hear your criticism, and I'm gonna give a counter-argument.
29:35
SPEAKER_01: I uh once again, this the theme of this album, I really like the bones of this song.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: I do.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: I think it grooves.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: I think there's like like musically might be even better than pop.
29:49
SPEAKER_01: Like, and you know me, like a song that grooves, like I'm into it, and this song does that.
29:54
SPEAKER_01: There are just some things that I can't get over, man.
29:57
SPEAKER_01: This this deep voice thing that happens when it rushes, and then that call and response at the chorus.
30:05
SPEAKER_01: It's just like it's just doing too much.
30:08
SPEAKER_01: Like this, it it goes from like a genuine like 8.9 type song, and those two things for me bring it to like uh a seven, high six.
30:18
SPEAKER_01: Like, it's just why are we doing this?
30:21
SPEAKER_01: I think it's an awesome song, and another one, and I wish I could hit some meat buttons on some stems, and I would really enjoy it.
30:28
SPEAKER_01: But all overall, like, I just can't see myself going back to it a ton for that reason.
30:34
SPEAKER_02: I love the call and response.
30:37
SPEAKER_02: I'm all in.
30:38
SPEAKER_02: And it's just attacking me, man.
30:41
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and I guess you just don't respect your mother, is what I'm gonna take away from this.
30:45
SPEAKER_02: Because one of the main parts of the call and response is respect your mother.
30:49
SPEAKER_02: He shouts it, in fact.
30:51
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just gonna I'm just gonna put you, we're about a month away from Mother's Day.
30:54
SPEAKER_02: I'm just gonna put you in the box of not respecting your mother.
30:57
SPEAKER_02: I respect my mother a lot.
30:59
SPEAKER_01: I really do.
31:00
SPEAKER_01: I and I think she I think she might back me up on this tape.
31:04
SPEAKER_00: No, this one.
31:07
SPEAKER_02: No, she is on my side.
31:09
SPEAKER_02: And it almost reminds me of the Pink Floyd, hey, teacher, leave those kids alone.
31:15
SPEAKER_02: I I kind of like that.
31:16
SPEAKER_02: It's a bit shouty.
31:18
SPEAKER_02: It's a little respect your mother, leave those kids alone.
31:22
SPEAKER_01: Okay, another great reference by only beat here.
31:26
SPEAKER_01: Really good reference.
31:27
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
31:28
SPEAKER_02: I do, I do think the groove just outweighs any cons with this one for me.
31:33
SPEAKER_02: We immediately start dancing.
31:34
SPEAKER_02: It's a prince type song, it's got that feel to it.
31:37
SPEAKER_02: The bass is humming yet again.
31:39
SPEAKER_02: I think the call and response, like I said, is really good.
31:42
SPEAKER_02: I did think he sang the lyrics don't blink, and I don't blink, but he actually says, and I don't think.
31:48
SPEAKER_02: I was gonna make a Mike Tomlin reference, don't blink in the face of adversity there.
31:54
SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, that lyric doesn't quite work, but I'm all in on this one.
31:58
SPEAKER_02: I think it's just fun, it's a good time, and I haven't become sick of that little hey teacher, leave those kids alone part yet.
32:06
SPEAKER_01: We're not we're not as far off as you think.
32:08
SPEAKER_01: It's just those couple things.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: And honestly, when I listen back, that that deep voice crack thing in the verse honestly bothered me more than than the call and response.
32:19
SPEAKER_01: So I was like, oh great, another thing that I don't like about this song.
32:22
SPEAKER_01: Well, in anotherwise, really, really good tune with an awesome groove.
32:26
SPEAKER_01: So I was disappointed that I can't go back so well.
32:29
SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, maybe I can get my get over it by listening to it more, but at first and just it's tough for me.
32:35
SPEAKER_02: You might be able to dole your senses to it if you just pound it and you rotate.
32:40
SPEAKER_02: Track 11 is Paint by Numbers.
32:42
SPEAKER_02: I'll take the lead on this one.
32:44
SPEAKER_02: I think it's a beautiful, beautiful song.
32:46
SPEAKER_02: I wish it were a longer, is my only critique.
32:49
SPEAKER_02: It's a little nugget, it's like a little parting gift before the finale.
32:53
SPEAKER_02: The drums come in with the second verse, and I don't think it'll blow you away musically, but the songwriting is really strong in this one, and the message is nice.
33:02
SPEAKER_02: Will be in my rotation is just a nice, relaxing sing-along song.
33:07
SPEAKER_01: Agree.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: Another one of the few that has made my rotation and will be in my rotation.
33:13
SPEAKER_01: I really like the song, actually.
33:15
SPEAKER_01: This this edge of his versatility is where I really just enjoy the music more.
33:21
SPEAKER_01: To to get this one and the Roses one stripped back uh is a treat for me and what I really enjoyed about this album for the most part.
33:31
SPEAKER_01: Uh just let the guy shine, man.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: He's talented.
33:34
SPEAKER_01: Look, the songs are good, the the music is good.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: It's just um and I'll say this too.
33:40
SPEAKER_01: I actually think this would have been a better closer uh than the actual closer.
33:44
SPEAKER_01: I think this could have had that kind of like weightless kind of flow into the end of the album for me, similar to um, I always go back to the Olivia Dean one because I think it's a great closer to that one.
33:57
SPEAKER_01: Uh I've seen it.
33:58
SPEAKER_01: Like it's such a good closer.
34:00
SPEAKER_01: That it reminds me of that a little bit, um, where it could have this kind of like floaty ending to the album that I would have liked.
34:07
SPEAKER_02: I think that's a petition I would glance at.
34:09
SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna definitely sign it at this point, but I would look at I would look at it.
34:13
SPEAKER_02: I don't think that's a bad take at all.
34:15
SPEAKER_02: The I keep going back to that Olivia record, too.
34:18
SPEAKER_02: It's just truly one of the best pieces of artwork ever put out, and I've seen it is one of the best album closers of all time.
34:24
SPEAKER_02: So almost a little rude of you to compare it to such a great song because it's definitely not that yet for me, but it's a really good one.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: No, but it's a really strong one.
34:35
SPEAKER_02: Again, this is the thing we're trying to tell you, Harry.
34:39
SPEAKER_02: You're so talented.
34:40
SPEAKER_02: Your voice is amazing, you know how to write a tune, and your instrumental arrangements are usually pretty strong, and they even get stronger live.
34:48
SPEAKER_02: So maybe just sometimes we don't need that many cooks in the kitchen.
34:51
SPEAKER_02: We don't need the pots and pan sounds, we don't need the synth rearing its ugly head all the time.
34:57
SPEAKER_02: There's just less is more sometimes, Harry.
35:00
SPEAKER_02: Less is more.
35:01
SPEAKER_01: I'm saying I'm with you completely.
35:04
SPEAKER_01: And uh, all right, finally, all the closer, number 12, Carlos song.
35:08
SPEAKER_01: What do what do you have about this with?
35:11
SPEAKER_02: I I differ with you on this one.
35:14
SPEAKER_02: I think I think it's a strong song, and I do like it as a closer.
35:18
SPEAKER_02: I would agree Paint by Numbers would also be a great closer because it does have that weightless feel to it.
35:24
SPEAKER_02: But this one's one of my favorites, and I love the lyrics.
35:27
SPEAKER_02: It's referencing introducing someone to Simon and Garfunkel for the first time.
35:32
SPEAKER_02: And and I think just from that perspective, it's such a cool song, and how he keeps repeating it's all waiting there for you, talking about just life in general, but then also all of their discography and how a new artist is showing someone something new for the first time, it's all ahead of you.
35:51
SPEAKER_02: And that concept is cool.
35:53
SPEAKER_02: I really like that.
35:54
SPEAKER_02: And the opening line there is a bridge that leads to troubled water, it's obviously a nice little tip of the cap to those two icons.
36:02
SPEAKER_02: So I'm just a big fan of this one.
36:04
SPEAKER_02: I think it's well written and I like where he leaves it.
36:08
SPEAKER_01: As you know, when I go through my first couple lists of an album, are not high on my priority list.
36:15
SPEAKER_01: That being said, that note uh uh we talked about Simon Agarfoggle waiting here for you, the kind of discography situation, that is pretty cool.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: So I'll give you that.
36:25
SPEAKER_01: That's that is a cool concept, and not one that I I don't I think have I've heard sung about before.
36:30
SPEAKER_01: So respect there.
36:32
SPEAKER_01: Uh overall as a as a song, like I thought it was solid, it's fine.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: It's you know, there's there's no synth that makes me want to, you know, cover my ears.
36:41
SPEAKER_01: So that's a lane, it's not too overproduced.
36:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh I mean it's not like personally my favorite, uh, but I can appreciate it.
36:47
SPEAKER_01: I think it it's not a bad ending to the album, I'll say that.
36:51
SPEAKER_01: Like, I think uh uh of the options, there, you know, I think it's it probably comes in second place to me, but from a song standpoint, it's just it's not my favorite personally.
37:00
SPEAKER_02: I think that's fair.
37:01
SPEAKER_02: So, what are your favorites that you're going to actually put into your rotation?
37:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, two stand out for sure.
37:09
SPEAKER_01: It's paint by numbers.
37:11
SPEAKER_01: I have like kind of this work chill vibes kind of playlist that I that I have on at work.
37:16
SPEAKER_01: That that has crap there for sure.
37:19
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then my favorite being pop, I think, is just like a really groovy song.
37:24
SPEAKER_01: Uh that that shuffle uh really kind of goes a long way.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: But those are the two that really stand out.
37:33
SPEAKER_01: And then uh and then if I can get over that that call and response of that stupid deep voice in the verses, dance dance no more is a groovy song that I do like outside of those elements that I wish I couldn't be on.
37:45
SPEAKER_01: But uh those are really like the main three I would say that I'll probably go back to.
37:50
SPEAKER_02: What about you?
37:51
SPEAKER_02: I'm so in on the call and response that I'm standing up and doing it with them.
37:54
SPEAKER_02: I'm taking part in the exercise.
37:57
SPEAKER_02: So the back half for me, the back half of this album was very good.
38:03
SPEAKER_02: I agree with you on paint by numbers and pop.
38:06
SPEAKER_02: Those are the first two I had put in my notes as well as songs I will go back to.
38:09
SPEAKER_02: I would also include Dance No More and Carla's song.
38:12
SPEAKER_02: I think both of those, the added element of the song writing in Carla's song, moves the needle for me.
38:17
SPEAKER_02: And I do think it's just very easy to listen to.
38:19
SPEAKER_02: And something about the way it fades away really strikes a chord with my ear.
38:24
SPEAKER_02: So I I really enjoy that one.
38:26
SPEAKER_02: I do think American Girls is gonna find its way into the rotation too.
38:30
SPEAKER_02: It's again, there it's a flawed song, but it has something that I can't quit just yet.
38:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, it's got that little kind of catchy, it's it's it's an easy concept to grasp onto and go back to as a as a pop music consumer.
38:46
SPEAKER_01: I I get that.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: I will not be, but that's not me.
38:50
SPEAKER_01: But that is you, and I I get it.
38:52
SPEAKER_01: I understand.
38:53
SPEAKER_02: All right, so final thoughts before we give a score.
38:57
SPEAKER_02: I want to hear your final review in as concise a way as possible.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: To me, it's the it's the baseball analogy where there are really good moments and really good songs, and then almost an equal amount of bad moments and four songs, in my opinion.
39:15
SPEAKER_01: There are a couple really standout ones where they're they're they're hits, and then there's others that I really just wish that there were a couple of elements that were not there that would put them in that category of hits.
39:29
SPEAKER_01: Sorry, this isn't this isn't concise, but it is the the general theme is overproduction in a lot of places where I wish it it wasn't.
39:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then a couple of songs that I can take away.
39:42
SPEAKER_01: But overall, man, I just uh I think they overproduced the crap out of this thing.
39:45
SPEAKER_01: I really wish they could have shifted back a little bit more.
39:49
SPEAKER_02: And I'm not too dissimilar.
39:51
SPEAKER_02: This is again where our musical profiles, I think, just are going to lead to slightly different results for how we view this one.
39:57
SPEAKER_02: I agree with a lot of your points, and I think as we went through the album, we were pretty similar on a lot of the critiques and the praise of each of these songs.
40:06
SPEAKER_02: I am just more inclined to give this a new chance.
40:10
SPEAKER_02: In terms of Harry's discography, it's different, and he took a swing, and I could respect it.
40:16
SPEAKER_02: It's not my favorite work of his.
40:18
SPEAKER_02: I'd prefer we stuck between the mustard and the mayo, which we found in Harry's house.
40:23
SPEAKER_02: But he definitely tried something new, and I'm not gonna fault him for that.
40:27
SPEAKER_02: Will I go back to all those interesting choices he made on the front half of the album a ton?
40:31
SPEAKER_02: Probably not.
40:33
SPEAKER_02: But the way you were summing it up, I can't help but give you this analogy, and I think you're gonna agree 100%.
40:39
SPEAKER_02: This is a niche one, folks, so bear with me, the national audience, because we actually, these are our most viewed episodes, most downloaded episodes, we appreciate that.
40:48
SPEAKER_02: There's this baseball player in the city of Philadelphia.
40:50
SPEAKER_02: His name is Alec Bohm, and he is 6'5, he has flowing hair, he's got all the potential in the world.
40:58
SPEAKER_02: He looks like a world beater at the sport of baseball.
41:00
SPEAKER_02: You couldn't craft a baseball player in a lab to look any better or more apt to play baseball than Alec Bohm, much like Harry Styles is a musician.
41:08
SPEAKER_02: He's just a pop star.
41:10
SPEAKER_02: Dresses like one, walks like one, acts like one, talks like one.
41:14
SPEAKER_02: The whole nine yards.
41:16
SPEAKER_02: Alec Bohm has warning track power.
41:18
SPEAKER_02: He just always something keeps him from reaching that potential.
41:23
SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what each of these songs on the album did.
41:25
SPEAKER_02: There's just always one little thing, or in some cases, one predominant thing, that we just need to get rid of in order to get over the hump.
41:35
SPEAKER_02: And I think Alec Bohm and Harry Styles in this instance are very similar.
41:40
SPEAKER_01: Really good comparison.
41:42
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it makes me like uh it's it's a really good comparison.
41:47
SPEAKER_01: Say, um, but like you're you're so right in that the album doesn't leave me wanting more.
41:53
SPEAKER_01: It's there, it's just over the line.
41:55
SPEAKER_01: Like, I wish I could just tone back a couple of things to get it back for the line, and the line being like an extremely good album.
42:02
SPEAKER_01: That that is the problem for me.
42:04
SPEAKER_01: Like I genuinely wish I had all the stems to this album that I could cut and paste a couple of things or just remove a couple of things.
42:11
SPEAKER_01: I'd be like, it would drastically change my view of this album.
42:14
SPEAKER_02: I think that's very fair.
42:16
SPEAKER_02: And I will say, I bet you we get in a lot of live performances.
42:19
SPEAKER_02: Some of the ones I've already seen have been better.
42:21
SPEAKER_02: And I bet you this one ages well in terms of how he performs it live when he does his residencies across the world this year.
42:28
SPEAKER_02: I bet a lot of these songs sound even better than the recorded version, which is a testament to him, if that's the case.
42:34
SPEAKER_02: So I am going to kick off the scoring here on a positive note before you just lay the hammer down on poor Harry.
42:41
SPEAKER_02: I'm giving it a 7.9.
42:44
SPEAKER_02: A 79 out of 100.
42:47
SPEAKER_02: As a teacher, I have to use 100.
42:49
SPEAKER_02: Something mentally just I don't like the 7.9 out of 10.
42:52
SPEAKER_02: I'm not rating pizza.
42:54
SPEAKER_02: So I will go 79 out of 100.
42:58
SPEAKER_02: It's passing grade.
43:00
SPEAKER_02: It's a passing grade.
43:01
SPEAKER_02: There's enough on it that I'll go back to.
43:03
SPEAKER_02: It's a pop album that took some chances.
43:06
SPEAKER_02: I'll remember, I'll remember it fondly for how I was truly stunned at what I was listening to, and then eventually found a rhythm and found my groove and was like, okay, this is the Harry I know and love.
43:19
SPEAKER_02: It just took me a little while to get there, and I wish we didn't have to go along all the roundabouts, the first six songs.
43:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I think that's totally fair for me.
43:30
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it it's all it's all subjective.
43:33
SPEAKER_01: Like if I was reading it on the amount of songs, I would go back to percentage-wise, it would be much lower than what I'm actually gonna give it.
43:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh that's not the grading system.
43:42
SPEAKER_02: No, it's not the grading system.
43:43
SPEAKER_02: He hinted in a paper, and you're grading the paper.
43:46
SPEAKER_01: All right.
43:46
SPEAKER_01: The paper to me is uh it's a it's a it's a 65 paper.
43:51
SPEAKER_01: 65 failing.
43:52
SPEAKER_02: It's a failing Harry Gunn.
43:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, D's not failing in a lot of classes.
43:58
SPEAKER_01: As an academic advisor, I've been You there's a lot of classes you can get D's in and move on.
44:02
SPEAKER_01: That is true.
44:03
SPEAKER_02: We we do matriculate kids with D's now.
44:06
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
44:06
SPEAKER_01: So listen, it's passing.
44:09
SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
44:10
SPEAKER_01: I think I think it's it's a D because I know what Harry's A work looks like, and it's just not quite there.
44:18
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think there's elements.
44:20
SPEAKER_02: Don't make him a victim of his own success, please.
44:23
SPEAKER_01: I I listen, I'm the first person to do that.
44:26
SPEAKER_01: If you put out good music, my expectations that you're gonna continue to put out good music.
44:29
SPEAKER_01: Uh I'll uh Maroon 5.
44:31
SPEAKER_01: I'll always go back to that example.
44:32
SPEAKER_01: That's my number one example.
44:33
SPEAKER_01: I'll probably mention every episode of this podcast.
44:35
SPEAKER_01: Anyway, the couple, I'm gonna say like the three or four songs that I enjoy are what puts it at this rating, and then the rest of it is detracting from me.
44:45
SPEAKER_01: Like I said, if this album is produced better and that's a little bit more of a hands-off situation, it could easily be 15 points higher, if not 20 points higher.
44:54
SPEAKER_01: It's truly some of the producing decisions make some of these songs unless to me is it's a huge shame.
45:00
SPEAKER_01: And not maybe not all Harry's fault either, but uh the production.
45:04
SPEAKER_02: I was just about to say, this might have been a group project where Mr.
45:08
SPEAKER_02: Kid Harpoon, as the producer of the album, didn't do any of his work.
45:16
SPEAKER_02: He Harry was trying his hardest to get a passing grade, and Mr.
45:20
SPEAKER_02: Kidd said, you know what, I'm gonna sandbag this team, and he handed in a failing grade.
45:26
SPEAKER_02: I I could get behind that if we're gonna take some blame off of Harry's shoulders.
45:31
SPEAKER_02: I would agree to that.
45:32
SPEAKER_02: Generally good.
45:33
SPEAKER_02: Like the singing is good.
45:37
SPEAKER_01: The songwriting over overall is good.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's fine and good, yeah.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
45:43
SPEAKER_01: It's it is some of these production decisions, in which, you know, I don't I don't think he's the one in the lab on, you know, the you know, garage band or whatever.
45:52
SPEAKER_01: What the heck is the thing called?
45:54
SPEAKER_01: Like, that's just what that program is called.
45:56
SPEAKER_01: Uh it was garage band.
45:59
SPEAKER_01: No, no, they're making this stuff on like some other freaking program that calls like a zillion dollars.
46:05
SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, he's not the one behind that making those decisions.
46:08
SPEAKER_01: So I will you know relieve him of some of that blame because truly Mike rapes and it'll be that's what you know 35 on the top of his assignment is not enough.
46:16
SPEAKER_02: I think that's a good place to leave it, Ryan.
46:19
SPEAKER_02: I would like you to be able to set the record straight.
46:21
SPEAKER_02: Do you respect your mother?
46:24
SPEAKER_01: I was very clear earlier.
46:26
SPEAKER_01: I mean I respect my mother a great deal.
46:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm not my mother.
46:30
SPEAKER_01: I'm not so sure you were clear.
46:34
SPEAKER_02: You seem to really hate that part of the song and wish it wasn't included.
46:38
SPEAKER_02: I couldn't have even told you that those were the words.
46:42
SPEAKER_02: That's what I mean.
46:42
SPEAKER_02: You weren't paying attention to the call in response.
46:46
SPEAKER_01: I'm listening to how it sounds, and it sounds terrible.
46:52
SPEAKER_02: Well, listeners, if you have any other albums you would like us to review, please send them our way.
46:57
SPEAKER_02: I'm always happy to do this with you, Ryan.
46:59
SPEAKER_02: Your time is much appreciated.
47:01
SPEAKER_01: Happy to do it.
47:02
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's unfortunate sometimes when I disagree, but that's okay.
47:06
SPEAKER_01: We gotta find our common ground and uh be objective.
47:09
SPEAKER_01: Call it I'm gonna call everything like I see it, you know, in a respectful way.
47:12
SPEAKER_01: I hope that the listeners, you know, understand that.
47:17
SPEAKER_02: Ryan Cowell.
47:19
SPEAKER_02: He's just he's just a mean music critic.
47:23
SPEAKER_02: Uh listeners, thank you all for tuning in, and until next time, take care of it.