By Rueben Perez
Pop superstars One Direction ditch the bubblegum pop for a more adult-contemporary sound on “Midnight Memories.”
Their previous two albums featured pop anthems and ballads. “Midnight Memories” doesn’t stray too far from that same formula, but it also features a more mature sound.
The 18 track disc starts with hit lead single “Best Song Ever,” an energetic, feel-good pop track that will have listeners in the mood to dance.
“Story of My Life,” the album’s second single, is a beautiful acoustic ballad.
The track is an autobiographical heartbreak song. It was written by all five members, which indicates they all went through heartbreak at some point in their lives.
“Diana,” one of the album’s standout tracks, brings on a true pop/rock anthem. The quintet channels their inner The Police sound.
“Midnight Memories,” the album’s title track features groovy guitar licks, leading into a peppy pre-chorus and a shoe stomping chorus. It’s a very different sound, but it works.
It will remind fans a bit of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N Roll” and Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me.”
The quintet has been touring non-stop and are household names.
It’s only fitting that the album features a track titled “Don’t Forget Where You Belong.”
They’ve met a lot of fans, been traveling around the world, but they haven’t forgotten where they’ve came from.
The track is aimed for a more mature audience, but it’s still teen friendly.
It has a Bon Jovi feel to it, it will definitely be a crowd pleaser during their live shows.
“Through The Dark” and “Happily” are two of the strongest tracks on the album.
They give One Direction a chance to channel their inner Mumford & Sons sound.
Regardless of the listeners opinion on Mumford & Sons, you’ll really enjoy both of the tracks.
There’s a different story told on every track whether it’s heartbreak, traveling the world or dancing to the “Best Song Ever.”
One Direction is very popular among tweens, but when it comes to their music there isn’t an age limit.
They write songs that inspire people, make them feel good and can even brighten-up a dark cloudy day.
“Midnight Memories” is One Direction’s best album to date.
Not only will it help catapult them to a new level of pop stardom it also helps them experiment with new music genres.
The holiday season is upon us; this album will make a great stocking stuffer.
“Midnight Memories” is now available via iTunes and local record stores.