Courtesy of Newbury Comics

Roughly four years after One Direction went four directions, and two and a half years after Niall Horan released his first solo record, the Irishman is back with his sophomore album: “Heartbreak Weather.” 

 The album was released on Friday, March 13, and marks a return to Horan’s roots, sporting a more 1D-like pop sound rather than the acoustic guitar-heavy, folk-rock vibe of “Flicker,” his first solo project.

 The album’s 14 tracks tell the story of a recent breakup, examining the ups and downs of every stage of a relationship.

 The album’s namesake “Heartbreak Weather” opens the record with a bang and a high-energy beat. The song’s synthesized sound effects encourage listeners to smile and dance as Horan sings about finally finding love after heartbreak.

 “All of my life, it’s been heartbreak weather / Thinkin’ to myself, it won’t get better / It can be so lonely in this city / But it feels different when you’re with me,” the second half of the chorus goes.

 The energy stays strong as the album transitions into “Black and White.” Highlighted by an acoustic guitar and another punchy beat, Horan continues to express his eternal love for a girl, saying, “I promise that I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

With lyrics like these, this ballad could easily be played at a wedding.

 Further down the tracklist, Horan takes a sexy turn from the first four songs with ‘Small Talk,” featuring a grunge-like energy as he sings “Let’s skip all the small talk and go straight up to your room.”

 Hotpress.com describes the song, saying “If The Weeknd had boyband roots … he might produce something like ‘Small Talk’.”

From there, the first two of the album’s three previously released singles are featured, with “Nice To Meet Ya” followed by “Put A Little Love On Me.” Both are piano heavy tracks but the songs have entirely different styles.

 The confidence-boosting walk-in song, “Nice To Meet Ya,” was released on Oct. 4, 2019, and describes the first meeting of a relationship, set to an energetic, pop-rock vibe.

“Put A Little Love On Me” slows things way down as the emotional piano ballad sports a complicated but simple-sounding melody, with Horan asking “Is it wrong that I still wonder where you are? / Is it wrong that I still don’t know my heart?” in the second verse, and for his lover to “put a little love on me” multiple times in the chorus.

 “No Judgement” comes in as both the third single released on Friday, Feb. 7, and third to last track on the album.

 In the song, Horan preaches being confident and comfortable in a lover’s arms, set to a pulsing beat and intricate guitar line.

 “When you’re with me, no judgement / You can get that from anyone else / You don’t have to prove nothing / You can just be yourself,” the chorus begins.

 While the album starts with high energy, the last two tracks mellow out as Horan’s emotional rollercoaster comes to an end and his great vocals are showcased.

 A wide range of instruments including piano, acoustic guitar and drums provide a complicated backing to “San Francisco,” as Horan reflects on the past and nostalgically asks to “Take me back, take me back / To San Francisco.”

 In a similar style to the track “Flicker” from his first album, Horan concludes “Heartbreak Weather” with “Still,” characterized by a finger-picking acoustic guitar that eventually builds into something much bigger.

 Emotion pours out of the ballad as Horan struggles with a relationship, trying to be honest to his partner and eventually admitting “I’m still in love with you” at the end of every chorus.

 While Horan’s future post-One Direction was unclear at first, the Irishman has created a great first album and an even better second one. 

Returning to his pop roots while simultaneously adding his own iconic, acoustic guitar-heavy sound, Horan has created much more than 14 individual songs: he’s created a story of songs meant to be played and told together.

Pulling from personal experience in “Heartbreak Weather,” Horan has produced an album enjoyable for all, examining everything from the highest peaks of love to the lowest trenches of heartbreak.