Album review: One Direction – ‘Midnight Memories’

Words by:
Dan Bull
Follow @DanBull7609

Should Directioners be worried? A quick look at a brief history of boybands shows that, for many, album #3 can be their last… until the reunion of course.

Like Take That and *N Sync (who called it a day after theirs) Midnight Memories sees One Direction showcase a new, more mature approach to their sound upon their third release, whilst still keeping the dance-routine-free energy that has separated them from those who fail to create worldwide hysteria.

Of the 14 tracks, all but three feature a co-write credit from at least one member of the band, which might explain the three distinct styles that makes up Midnight Memories. Handing over so much creativity is a brave move from the suits behind the faces, but it’s a gamble that pays off.

As highlighted with second single Story Of My Life (written by the insanely-talented Jamie Scott), there is a clear, albeit watered-down, folk influence, not a million miles away from Mumford & Sons (and with some tracks that are arguably more exciting than the babble of Babel). It’s even more apparent in Happily; a collaboration between Harry Styles and two of the men behind their guitar-focussed anthems What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We’re Young. An uplifting track that wouldn’t sound out of place at a festival; it’s clearly The Lumineer’s-by-numbers (complete with ‘hey’s!’, ‘ho’s’! and hand claps), but it works. Strong is equally credible and catchy, in a more McFly and Sons manner.

Through The Dark and Something Great continue with the theme, the latter seeing Styles writing with Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and Jacknife Lee – who’s more used to work with U2 than 1D. Whilst more prominent than Lightbody’s duet with Taylor Swift, it isn’t as strong as some of Snow Patrol’s biggest anthems. However, the track only adds to a bizarre credibility (based purely on tracks like this and last year’s Ed Sheeran penned Little Things), that appears to give One Direction the edge over, say, The Wanted. In short; it’s ‘Something Pretty Good but not quite Something Great’ (perhaps a more electronic-tinged track in the style of Just Say Yes would have made it so).

There is a clear 1980s-rock influence on the tracks co-written with Tomlinson and Payne (who play a part in 9 of the tracks, often just the two of them). New single Diana – which went straight to the top of the iTunes chart – has more than a hint of Don Henley’s Boys Of Summer about it (just as LWWY was scarily close to sampling The Clash). The album’s lead track – current iTunes #1 – is a Rock Of Ages, fists in the air, We Will Rock You-stomping track, turned up to 11; complete with electric-guitar squeals between lines and a harmony heavy, crescendoing bridge that explodes into the chorus.

The Jon Bon-Direction theme isn’t always successful, however; Little Black Dress, with lines including “I wanna see the way you move move baby”, is cheesier than some of their pure-pop efforts. On the whole, however, the filler tracks are the ones that sound more like what should have been the natural progression from the previous two albums.

Closers Little White Lies and Better Than Words could have been shoved into either of the previous albums, and seem to serve as tracks for the American market if they don’t pull off the whole ‘Mumford-thing’ there. A new track from ¾ of McFly (who also wrote for last year’s Take Me Home), with a little help from Niall, is one of the exceptions, however. In a rare lead vocal, Niall sings about life on the road (“Living out of cases… but not forgetting who I was”) on a track that proves that sometimes the simplest of choruses are the best ones. It’s a subject that crops up a few times, but after three years of endless touring and recording, this is 1D writing about what they know.

The Ryan Tedder (Bleeding Love, Catching Stars)-penned Right Now features his trademark beat-heavy chorus, while You And I is one of the few actual ballads, guaranteed to leave their Directioners weak at the knees (“Not even the God’s above could separate the two of us.”) As with the majority of the tracks, Styles’ broken-growl stands out as the strongest voice of the five.

Are these the best songs ever? Not even Best Song Ever can claim that (although it is another frustratingly catchy number to add to an ever increasing list). One Direction have provided a first class collection of pop tracks, however, featuring their own words, their own influences; showing progression and a strong sense of, erm, direction. If they continue at this speed, album #4 could see them become a fully-respected, hit writing manband, and in less than half of the time Take That did it.

Midnight Memories is due out this Monday (25th November). Hit the iTunes link below to preorder now.