On January 31, One Directioner Louis Tomlinson will join the rest of his bandmates to finally get a solo album to his name. But early reviews of ‘Walls’ have been mixed, with some calling it a ‘limp’ effort.
Writing for the Associated Press, Mark Kennedy call the 12-track offering a ‘total snoozer of an album”.
“It’s not as embarrassing as Liam Payne’s debut, but it’s far from the glittering heights of Harry Styles,” he says. “Tomlinson’s ‘Walls’ is just there, unoffensive and uneventful. He’s made the perfect soundtrack for sock shopping at the Gap.”
Kennedy had earlier trashed Payne’s album, calling it a “a collection of monotonous club songs that often sound like warmed-over Justin Beiber rejects”.
Writing for nme.com, Ella Kemp said Tomlinson’s ‘Walls’ was a “foundation for a rewarding future”, adding that he seemed to be heavily inspired by Oasis.
“Zayn embraced R‘n’B, Harry turned to ‘80s power rock, Niall found folk and Liam just threw everything he’d ever heard at the wall. Louis just loves the Gallaghers,” she says, concluding hopefully: “He’s perhaps taking the time to find himself properly before launching into a boisterous future.”
Lauren Murphy for entertainment.ie also appreciates the album while noting Tomlinson’s predictability.
“His debut solo album embraces his love of indie music but doesn’t quite go far enough,” she writes. “There are some really tender moments that undoubtedly show his flair for lyric-writing, but there are zero risks in a musical sense — and no surprises whatsoever.
