Back when One Direction alumnus Niall Horan released his second album, Heartbreak Weather, in 2020, songs such as “Nice to Meet Ya”, “Arms of a Stranger” and “Small Talk” hinted that new sonic adventures might be opening. Not in the vanguard sense of, say, St Vincent or FKA Twigs, but hints of envelope-pushing, nonetheless.
Dinner Party is unashamedly soppy, a tribute to Horan’s six-year relationship with businesswoman Mia Woolley. It’s chocka with uxorious feel, albeit in a lyrically prosaic manner, typified by the eponymous lead single wherein, around “chandeliers, 2.00 AM coffee” he finds, “knives, forks, and things I’ve never felt before”. There’s lots of this sort of thing. At one point, on “Flowers”, he sings, “wander around, then for hours, swear your eyes could grow flowers”.
Many, many artists have sold the iffiest wordage to the world and we love them for it, because the songs make us not care. Horan seldom delivers in this area. “Pretty” contains glimmerings, a pulsing bubbler not a million miles from his old pal Harry Styles, which explodes into a twangy, genially fluff-rockin’ chorus, “Then it catches me/You’re so fucking pretty”. Mostly, though, the music ranges from smoothly strummy stuff you might not object to in the background in a bar to horrendous Los Angeles soft-rock.
Niall Horan appears to be a good egg, a sensitive caring boyfriend and a decent man who spends time and money on socially progressive causes. He also oversees “an elite and exclusive golf management company that manages all aspects of their clients' careers” (their website says). I am not sure you can really do that and be a rock’n’roll soul. He clearly has many things going on, but Dinner Party is among the least interesting of them.
Below: Listen to "Pretty" by Niall Horan
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