Made in the A.M.: A Spiritual Journey

In the spring of my freshman year of high school, One Direction released their first album, Up All Night. I impulsively bought the album on iTunes on the way back from a lacrosse game. I proceeded to jam to it for the next month. I saw them in concert with my friends on a Monday night and skipped my earliest class the next day. Shout out to my mother.


2012 saw their sophomore album, Take Me Home. This is, to put it lightly, their best work. This was during my peak obsession with the band, and I loved every moment of every song. It was an emotional roller coaster. I drove 6 hours with my best friend to see their concert in Pittsburgh. Obviously, we live nowhere near Pittsburgh, but it was so worth it. We had floor seats, I had indisputable eye contact with Louis, and I spent too much on a t-shirt that I lost in the week after. (See photo to the left of how close I was to these boys)

Their next two albums, Midnight Memories and Four, fell into the background of my high school career. I was trying to maintain a very cool persona that did not include boy bands. Midnight Memories had some serious jams that I did not appreciate as much as I should have. Also, that album went from these cute kids who danced around onstage to boys who sang about things like sex and rock and roll. Also, should have appreciated that more. I was such a naive child before Midnight Memories. 

I honestly haven't even listened to most of Four. These boys were putting out albums quicker than I could listen to them.

After Zayn's departure from the band and their impending hiatus, though, I felt a need to indulge the me of four years ago who would have been in tears at the thought of these boys breaking up. Over the first two months of college, I slowly found myself falling back into old habits out of nostalgia, and that unsurprisingly included checking up on One Direction.

So, this morning, my roommate and I got ready to Made in the A.M. Our weeks of impatient waiting were over, and it was wondrous. Over the course of today, I've listened a few times' through and have maintained my composure long enough to review each song, track by track.  I'll be reviewing the deluxe album, because why not go all the way? (Note: I should be working on a paper or socializing with people or doing laundry or anything besides reviewing One Direction, but I've got all weekend for the more important necessities)

Let's do this.

Hey Angel: I like the opening of this one. It sounds kind of mystical, and then more sounds just keep coming in and blending really well. The chorus of this one is catchy but not too lyrically stimulating. Overall, though, it has a nice sound and seems like the kind of song you can jam to while curling your hair (able to sing along without feeling like you need to dance)

Drag Me Down: This was the first single for the album, so I had a fair amount of time to listen to it. It's definitely one of my favorites, though. It's got an edgy rocky vibe to it that I want to head bang to at a concert. The way the bass drops in this song makes my heart flutter.

Perfect: Another single ahead of the album's full release. I love this entire song, from the background instruments to the lyrics to the overall idea. Also, the music video for this song did for me what Midnight Memories attempted. It was a spiritual experience. (I also love it when celebs write songs about each other, so the theory that Harry wrote this about Taylor is adorable and also so fun)

 

 Infinity: This song is a little slower and has a sweeter vibe to it. The beginning makes me want to just kind of sway to it at a high school dance. I love how this song builds into the chorus, and then the lyrics are amazing. Another great aspect of this song is that it really plays up the boys' different vocal strengths and blends them really well.

 End of the Day: The opening of this song paints such a great picture, and it's reminiscent of a completely different time. Then, though, we switch to the chorus, which is a heavy hitter. It's got this pulsing beat that keeps building until it eventually calms down again. I prefer the slower parts; it almost sounds like someone is softly clapping in the background. I like the idea of it. As a whole, it's good but not musically great.

If I Could Fly: My number one pet peeve about this song is that it's not called "For Your Eyes Only" (such a crucial line of the chorus whereas "If I Could Fly" is only in the beginning once). It's the slowest song of the album so far, and besides the one peeve, it's so good. It's a really sweet ballad about opening up to someone who you're finally able to trust. The bridge of this song is amazing, and I love the background strings.

Long Way Down: Excuse me while I sob. This is probably in my top few of the entire album. "I try to forgive you, but I'm strugglin' cause I don't know how" is such a sad lyric and super relevant. This entire song depicts the idea when you want to forgive someone, but you simply can't, and that's one of the worst kinds of sadness. So, yeah, tissues.
 
Never Enough: After "Long Way Down", my heart was not ready for this jam. I want to dance to this at a frat party (which is the sweatier, more crowded version of a safe high school dance). The entire vibe of this song is fun, and my only complaint is the weird hiccup-like noises between some of the verses.

Olivia: This was a particular hit this morning, because my roommate's name is Olivia. Therefore, it's an obvious fave of the album, because I have a second degree connection to 1D. This song is super cute, though, and sounds like something from a Disney Channel movie in which the boy messed up and is trying to serenade Olivia back into his life as he follows her through the halls of their school, occasionally pausing to fall dramatically to his knees.

What a Feeling: Immediately, this sounds more grown up than its predecessor. It's got a stormier feel to it. It's reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys, too. I like that the boys do a lot of singing together on this one. It makes it more cohesive. Also, there's no funny business in the background noise on this one, which is nice.

Love You Goodbye: I mean, there's no denying that this song is about break-up sex. If we look at it, though, as simply a song about not being able to let go of a relationship even though its run its course, it's super relevant. This is one of my favorites of the album just because it's relevant and sweet and sad all at once. I also love how they build up into the chorus with this one.

I Want to Write You a Song: For some reason, the opening reminded me of "Hey There, Delilah". Unimportant, though. The first few verses of this song are cute but kind of lacking in anything worth writing about. I do like the overall tone, though, and the chorus is really soothing. Kind of song you want to listen to while working on homework or napping while pretending not to.

History: Harry sounds amazing. They all sound amazing, to be honest. I like everything about this song, from the melody to their voices to the lyrics, but I don't love any of it. It's a good song, though, and fitting that this is their last album for awhile.

Temporary Fix: This almost sounds like Neon Trees' "Animal", just in the beginning, but it's a good comparison. There's an underlying rock component to this song that makes it such a jam. I want to dance around to this and rock out on air guitar. This song is about a one-night stand but as always, so tastefully done. 

Walking in the Wind: The beginning instrumental reminds me of a Mario game. This song has a similar theme to "Love You Goodbye", but it reminds me more of losing a friend than necessarily a boyfriend/girlfriend. It's cute and sad at the same time. Also, it makes me imagine Harry's hair blowing in the wind, which is nice.

Wolves: The opening makes me think of Charlie Brown. I can't get past it. I like the style of this song and how the verses work together. The chorus is peppy and fun, too. This is a pop song, tastefully done. I want to dance to this in my dorm room, hair flips and all.


A.M.: This one hit me hard, because it reminded me of staying up until three in the morning to talk about life with my best friend from home. As a freshman in college, my life has been made up of goodbyes for the past few months. Between the end of summer and the end of various weekend trips back home, the goodbyes never get easier. This song is a slow tribute to that, and I love it so very much. It's the perfect ending to their album and this part of their career.

Well. There you go. This album is fun and sad and peppy and slow and hard-hitting and bubbly. It's such a change from their first release; they've really grown lyrically and musically. I'm almost proud to be a fan, but I refuse to call myself a directioner. My favorites of the album are "Love You Goodbye", "A.M.", "Long Way Down", and "Infinity".

I recommend listening to the album. I don't know if it's the best of their career, altogether, but it's pretty damn close. They did well without Zayn. It's hard to say if he would have added enough to make a difference. Overall, it was enough to make me a little sad that I couldn't even consider going to their next tour, but they deserve this hiatus.

And I deserve some ice cream after writing up this post.