Review Score:

C+

February 27th / 2025 –

You have to hand it to Harry Styles for one thing. Even haters of this album’s direction would have to concede that the man consistently makes interesting choices with his music. There’s a very predictable career path for someone like Styles. And it’s the one taken by his fellow One Direction bandmates. Zayn and Niall didn’t make the leap to full on solo stardom the way Harry has. (And does Louis make music still? I actually don’t know and I don’t care to look it up. Why did I feel like he was driving a delivery truck or something? Also, rest in peace to Liam Payne.)

Anyway, it isn’t for no reason that Styles has the audience he does. Stylistically, he takes the road less travelled (by post-boyband pop standards). This is especially true of Harry’s House, which for my money is far and away his best record. Sometimes, you hear a modern pop release and hear the influences, but only in a broad, genre sense. Sabrina Carpenter’s music, for example, is clearly very 80s influenced. And I like Carpenter, but it’s not a sound that surprises the listener. Styles could release Fine Line a dozen times over for the rest of his career and be fine. But he still thinks outside of the box, even if that box is pretty small.

All of that said, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. doesn’t strike me as particularly memorable. There are highlights, yes. “Aperture” is a statement opening, just as “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” was to Harry’s House. But Harry’s House had me locked in until at least track six. KATTDO doesn’t even hold me until track three (I’m told it’s been dubbed “kissco”). “Sushi Restaurant” sets the tone for what’s to follow fairly well. There are songs in tracks two through thirteen that not only share the same energy, but also bombastic, upbeat sound. “Aperture” is sadly, mostly alone in that here.

And unfortunately, KATTDO also doesn’t really deliver on the promise of disco – even if Harry only suggested it would be occasional. There’s one track near the end that leans disco enough for me, “Dance No More”. And boy, do I wish Harry had gone all in on this sound. It would’ve made for a natural follow-up to Harry’s House. But what we get instead is a pretty mixed bag.

I can’t help but feel that this record has a predictable structure to it. Front load the album with whatever the label considers to be the hits, throw the slower stuff into the back half, but leave room for a few stragglers. And lyrically, this doesn’t do anything for me at all. Harry is a compelling popstar, yes. But a wordsmith, not so much.

In fairness, while Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. doesn’t quite have the highs of his last record, it doesn’t feel like Harry necessarily wastes your time. And these days, that’s high praise for media. As I said earlier, there are interesting choices here and there. But with four years between albums, I’m left wishing Harry had given us a little more style.

Review Score:

C+

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.