Album Review
Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
Four years after the release of his Grammy-winning album Harry’s House, Harry Styles brings us his fourth solo studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. In the past four years he has been touring and taking time away from the bright lights of fame. He spent some time settling in Berlin to be part of a community, go out dancing in the world’s most famous clubs, and live the normal life of someone his age. The time away from the studio became exactly what was needed to return with fresh inspiration. A sense of togetherness and celebration of music found in the club scene is exactly the feeling the singer tries to recreate on this album. The album opens with the first and only single leading up to the full project. ‘Aperture’ sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the record. Its slow opening almost feels as if it was always meant to introduce the new album and slowly pull us into the world Harry has tried to built for his fans. Last Saturday the singer brought the song to life on the stage of the Brit Awards. During the performance it becomes clear that he wants us to come together, dance to his music, feel united, and let go of everything holding us back — letting the light in. After the club comes the therapy session, questioning all your life choices. Harry opens the song ‘Are You Listening Yet?’ on a steady drum: “God knows your life is on the brink and your therapist’s well-fed. The fix of all fixes, unintimate sex.” The statement immediately sets the tone for the rest of the track. The drum remains dominant throughout, demanding you pay attention as the singer asks: “Now you’re all out of choices, are you listening yet?” To make the moment even more intimidating, a choir joins in during the chorus singing those exact lines. On one hand it feels confronting to have so many voices questioning whether you can get your life together; on the other hand it is beautiful to know you’re not alone. ‘Are You Listening Yet?’ is an instant favorite on the album for Clean. On ‘Season 2 Weight Loss’ — what a title — we are treated to some of producer Kid Harpoon’s most interesting production on the album. The track almost begins like a computer game soundtrack, but as soon as the band comes in it shifts into something that feels almost like a soft porn version of drum ’n bass. The unusual production allows Harry to keep his vocals low-key and conversational. The song title works as a metaphor for gaining confidence in the public eye. It is not about actual dieting or physical weight loss; instead, Harry describes it as the “mission statement” for the album, exploring themes of personal evolution and returning as a better version of himself. On ‘Dance No More’ it’s like Harry gives his best attempt at a Prince-inspired song. The track is clearly his most funky and soulful offering to date. Even though the sound feels like a revamped version of music from the past, the lyrics are very current. Harry sings “DJ’s don’t dance no more, they said” wanting to prove them wrong by stating that they very much do these days. Out of nowhere he invites all his friends to shout in choir, “Respect your mother!”. It’s messy in the best way possible. The song has second single written all over it. Reaching the very end of the album, we arrive at the highlight: ‘Carla’s Song’. The track opens as a beautiful ballad, allowing the singer to put his vocal range fully on display. When we reach the chorus, the production transforms into a more 80s-inspired ballad, becoming more tempo-driven while still carrying the emotional weight of the song. We love how the track takes you on a journey. When we reach the line “I know what you like, I know what you’ll really like. I know what you like, I know I can read your mind” the song is in full force, building toward a climactic ending for the album. What a beautiful piece of music. Going through Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally., we occasionally feel a little lost. There are gorgeous highlights, for sure, but overall it sometimes feels as if Harry cannot fully let go of an older version of himself to completely embrace the stronger, more experimental version waiting to emerge. The version of him that heard beautiful sounds, beats, and voices colliding on way too dark dancefloors — and knows exactly how to translate that energy into songs like the first single ‘Aperture’. It almost feels as if another year away could have helped perfect the album even further. It is by no means a bad record, but as a whole it doesn’t always feel cohesive, which may leave the listener slightly confused. Luckily, there are plenty of great songs here to return to and enjoy Harry at his full potential.
