Throughout the fluctuating phases I’ve encountered in my life, one of the most prominent was when I was—and still am—a big admirer of the boyband One Direction. Although I became a fan after the band had broken up, I could still follow along with each of the boys’ solo careers. One of the most recent endeavors from the members of the band is Louis Tomlinson’s newest album Faith In the Future.

While the band has been broken up since 2016, this is only Tomlinson’s second album he has released on his own, and it had me invested in his new sound from the first song.

The first track of the album, “The Greatest,” had me a bit shocked at the beginning, due to the aggressive percussion, but my worries were soon dissipated when the lyrics were presented. With the combination of brilliant harmonies and intriguing lyrics, this song had me hooked.

The song that captured my attention most, though, was “Lucky Again.” The beat and melody were intriguing and felt like it should’ve been in a coming-of-age film. The sweet lyrics and Tomlinson’s accent shining through made this song all the better. Overall, this song produced a large amount of serotonin for me and had me smiling for the duration of the tune.

The vibe of the album is new for Tomlinson, as his last album, Walls, had a calmer, more sympathetic sound with the exception of a couple of songs; this new selection of music has a few rock n’ roll aspects sprinkled in. This unique sound seems to be more fitting and authentic to Tomlinson, and a more comfortable tune for his voice. Although this album is different from his last, there are still some parallels to his previous melodies.

The most prominent similarity I noticed was in the song “Chicago.” The intro to this song sounded a lot like a song on his older album, We Made It. The tune and the overall melodies sound similar, and the two songs complement each other very well.

Although the rock songs on the album may be more what Tomlinson will lean towards in the future, I still have a soft spot for the songs that present more upbeat with a chill undertone. Two of my favorite songs off of the album contain this feel: “Headline” and “Silver Tongues.” These songs are the kind I could learn every lyric to only after a few listens and play it on repeat all day without getting annoyed. Though they may contain a couple of cliché lines, they overall allow listeners to have a bit of insight into Tomlinson’s thoughts through the upbeat and enjoyable melodies.

Since becoming a fan of One Direction and Tomlinson, I have always felt he got the least recognition out of all the members of the band, and unrightfully so. This new album, and all his other solo endeavors, show his copious amounts of talent that deserve to be noticed. Through this album, Tomlinson is brightening the future of his music career and I hope to see it gain more attraction soon.