More than a year after his group,
One Direction
, went on hiatus, Irish singer/songwriter
Niall Horan
became the third
1D
member to release a solo studio full-length. Whereas
Zayn Malik
took his R&B talents into the bedroom and
Harry Styles
modeled himself after iconic rock frontmen of old,
Horan
went in a decidedly safer, center-lane direction on the yearning
Flicker
. Paying homage to classic rock influences like
Fleetwood Mac
,
the Eagles
, and
Dire Straits
contemporized those bands' sounds with pop flair, resulting in an immensely soothing and enjoyable record that fits nicely alongside those of
Ed Sheeran
and
Shawn Mendes
. Featuring production by
Greg Kurstin
(
Adele
Sia
),
Julian Bunetta
Mike Needle
Jamie Scott
), the mostly wholesome and wide-eyed
bounces between youthful love songs -- including the surprisingly naughty single "Slow Hands" -- and relatable heartbreak laments. With simple, straightforward lyrics, the concise set of ten tracks is effective and hits the proper emotional notes. On "Too Much to Ask," a sad
reflects "My shadow's dancing without you for the first time," while on the standout title track, he repeats "Please don't leave" to a departed love. These tracks are emotional, surely, but against the backdrop of such delicate production, they are spared from becoming too self-indulgent and depressing. Elsewhere, the bass thrum and guitar work of
enliven
, like on the "Dreams"-esque opener "On the Loose," the comforting "You and Me," and the lush "Since We're Alone," which also benefits from a faint "Sultans of Swing" influence. Without a weak song in the batch,
is consistently full of highlights, including "Seeing Blind," a rousing duet with American country singer
Maren Morris
. One Directioners will no doubt relish every moment of
, but for casual fans potentially wary of the boy band stigma, they can rest assured knowing that
has taken a big first step into musical maturity, with his own voice and deep well of emotion. ~ Neil Z. Yeung