Zayn Malik

Week 46: Louis Tomlinson- Faith in the Future

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Wahey! a better number one than last week’s pile of shite. Louis Tomlinson is known for appearing on some talent show on ITV, where One Direction was born. Louis was with the band until they “split”  in the last decade. Albeit, he was on the books of Doncaster Rovers for a while, despite it being a member of the boy band. That ended after the Stiliyan Petrov charity match in 2013 at Celtic Park when Louis, in the hoops, was brutally tackled by Gabriel Agbonlahor (sporting the gold away kit.) and vomited by the by-line and came off. He wasn’t on for that long before that happened. It seemed to have given those inside Paradise a chuckle.

Anyway, the weirdest thing about Louis doing a solo project since the “split” is no one saw it coming because he never gave you a clue that he would do anything in that manner. He was still trying to figure out what he planned to do. There was no mention of starting/joining another band, either. I reckon it was pure peer pressure because within a year of One Direction “splitting”, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles had albums out. He released his debut “Walls” in 2020, which was met with praise by the Directioners (super fans.), and for the rest of us? Well, we weren’t impressed. It was neither here nor there. It was just a standard record.

What people might only be aware of if you happen to be a Directioner is that Louis was the most prolific songwriter in the band. Hard to believe when you had the likes of Harry and Niall. He is also responsible for the change in direction the band had in the latter years. He brought more of a rock element, which was fit for the stadiums they were playing.

Although I am left unimpressed with his vocals on “Faith in the Future”, I was impressed with the overall production. For example, ‘the Greatest’ combines the Script and Imagine Dragons, and ‘Written All Over Your Face’ is modern indie. The album teaser ‘Bigger than Me’ has an acoustic accompanying an electric guitar, with a steady drum beat in the verses that turns into a marching beat during the bridge before the song rises into an explosive chorus. ‘Lucky Again’ is another modern indie track. What do I mean by this? Listen to Indie radio on YouTube, and you will see that it would fit perfectly on those live broadcasts. ‘Face the Music’ has a steady rhythm guitar that has a frantic riff alongside it, and ‘Saturdays’ is a mid-tempo song about the brutal reality of splitting up with someone (Maybe in Louis’ case, it is veiled. Meaning it could be about One Direction?).

Okay, the voice may need to be ready for these songs in vast arenas for a tour next year, but the songs are in place. Dare I say it, the majority are prepared for stadiums, should he decide to do that for the tour. 

I have heard many pan this album saying it is “boring” and “wannabe Arctic Monkeys”. However, I disagree with what seems like the majority. Apart from the dull moments towards the end, I found it a brilliant, quintessential indie record.

Song recommendations: ‘Bigger than Me’, ‘Written All Over Face’., ‘the Greatest’

7/10

Week Twelve: Niall Horan- Heartbreak Weather

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Of course, the lad from An Muileann gCearr (Mullingar) found fame after appearing on the X-Factor in 2010, where the band One Direction was put together (they finished third in that series.) and rapidly rose to be a world-renowned boy band. The band is no more at the moment, but that is a very grey area as the members are embarking on solo careers. Niall has remained grounded by all the success One Direction had and would prefer playing Oasis songs on his acoustic guitar and playing golf when taking a break from recording and touring.

If we are all being honest (Well, the Directioners, anyway.), no one was making any fuss about Niall’s solo career. The focus seemed to be on Harry Styles and initially Zayn Malik as well, but through this lack of expectation, Niall has been free from having a monkey on his back, and it seems to have worked as he is having a better solo career than the rest of his band mates. His debut album “Flicker” in 2017 went to the summit in three countries, including his native Ireland. 

As I listened to the opening track, which happens to be the album track, I was unsure if I could endure the ensuing forty-three minutes. It reminded me of the 1975, and if you know me well, I cannot stand that band. Despite the opener, you do have a range of tracks. “Black and White” sounds like One Direction, “Dear Patience,” and the closer “Still” are like ballads over acoustic guitars. “Arms of a Stranger” feels like a Lewis Capaldi piano ballad, and funnily enough, Lewis will be one of the support acts when the “Heartbreak Weather” tour begins in October (Well, maybe. With what’s going on in the world

at the moment, who knows?).

“Cross Your Mind” is a blend of the old with the new. I say this because the acoustic guitar reminds me of something Johnny Marr would have played in the Smiths. It probably is a sample of a Smiths song or a Johnny Marr song. When I heard it, it did sound very familiar. I was very excited to listen to the track after hearing that Johnny-esque intro, but then it went all modern and sounded like a typical pop song of late. It’s an utter shame, really, because a Johnny Marr-style song is what this record needed. Yes, Niall was trying to appeal to the Directioners as much as possible, but this lad is an indie rock fan. “Nice to Meet Ya” is where Niall chose to go all indie rock, though. Sounds very much like Arctic Monkeys infused with Kasabian. However, I think Niall is going to go down the synth route. 

I would like him to release something more to his taste as it’s risky and shows that he is not afraid to cause shock waves. The loudest ones in One Direction have had moderate solo success, but as they say, the quiet ones are to be watched. Even though Niall was quiet in the band, his actions speak louder than his words. I don’t mind listening to a whole One Direction album, but once a day is enough. The same goes for this record. If I was young enough to be in that generation, I might have got it more and be listening to it more than once a day. That being said, I like Niall and wish him every success. Why? Because he isn’t a dickhead and is more talented than the rest of the band. 7/10