Being their first album without vital vocalist Zayn Malik, One Direction’s “Made in the A.M.” is vocally and lyrically outstanding. Each album they debut has a different sound, and from their first album, “Up All Night,” to their newest, “Made in the A.M.” their sound has matured with grace. Each song feels so sincere and right from the heart, which could be because a majority of the album was written by the band themselves according to band member Louis Tomlinson with Fabulous Magazine.

This is their fifth studio album and was released Nov. 28. The album has 13 songs and runs for 42 minutes, and the deluxe has 17 songs and lasts for 51 minutes. This album definitely has a lot of inspiration from the indie rock band, Fleetwood Mac, giving it a much more upbeat yet calming sound.

The best song on the album is ‘Olivia’ which was written by member Harry Styles, and supporting writers Julian Butenna and John Ryan. It is without a doubt the most catchy song. It sounds like the song that would be played in the background of a cheesy Hallmark movie, but it makes the listening experience so much better. The chorus is so amusing with its lyrics lead by Styles and Tomlinson “I live for you, I long for you Olivia, hey! hey!” It makes me feel instantly uplifted and content with my surroundings.

Another one of the better songs, “Perfect” has a music video which portrays the simplicity of the song perfectly. The song portrays a guy who is trying to prove himself to a girl on how they would be perfect together by persuading her to go on “secret rendezvous” and “going on midnight drives with the windows down.” It is the song that makes all the crazed fans wish more than ever that they could snag one of the member and date them. It is such a soothing and simplistic song that still lifts up the mood.

The song “Hey Angel” sounds identical to The Verve’s immensely popular song “Bittersweet Symphony” with its soft verses and powerful choruses. But you know what they say, imitation is the best form of flattery.

One annoying thing about the album is the amount of slow songs that fill the tracklist. Personally I like faster paced songs that I know I can have a good time to, but slower songs like “If I Could Fly,” “Love You Goodbye,” “I Want to Write You a Song” and “Long Way Down” are all good, but they just won’t be songs on my party playlist.

Overall, I really like the album. It has a good variety of song styles and I love seeing their transformation from the generic “bubble gum pop” sound that they had in 2012 to the matured and folky sound that they have now.

On iTunes the album is $11.99 and the deluxe is $14.99.

by LILY JONES