One Direction is back with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Take Me Home. The album is the follow up to their debut album, Up All Night, released last November in the UK and earlier this year in the US. The album went to #1 in countries around the world and made One Direction the first UK band to ever have #1 debut album in the United States. Take Me Home has a similar sound to Up All Night, but at the same time see's the band maturing and with members of the band writing a few songs on the album and that is very clear. |
Here's Hit Zone's track-by-track review of the standard edition of Take Me Home. The album is album is also available in deluxe, yearbook, and Target editions all of which feature additional bonus tracks.
1.) Live While We're Young
The album opens up with the lead single, "Live While We're Young" and serves as a smooth transition from album one to album two. The song has peaked at #2 in Canada and #3 in the US and UK and has broken pre-sale records around the world. It sticks with a formula that has made One Direction a success and has the band teaming up with Savan Kotecha, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub, the 3 man duo who wrote the hits "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing" and it's another smash!
The album opens up with the lead single, "Live While We're Young" and serves as a smooth transition from album one to album two. The song has peaked at #2 in Canada and #3 in the US and UK and has broken pre-sale records around the world. It sticks with a formula that has made One Direction a success and has the band teaming up with Savan Kotecha, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub, the 3 man duo who wrote the hits "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing" and it's another smash!
2.) Kiss You
Another great song we can jam out to! The song is very fast paced with a great drum and guitar beat. It even has a chorus that will have you singing along at all the concerts: "If you don’t want to take it slow, and you just want to take me home (album name reference), baby say, 'yeah.'" The song has a lot of single potential so I wouldn't be surprised to hear this on the radio sometime. It's definitely a favorite of mine.
Another great song we can jam out to! The song is very fast paced with a great drum and guitar beat. It even has a chorus that will have you singing along at all the concerts: "If you don’t want to take it slow, and you just want to take me home (album name reference), baby say, 'yeah.'" The song has a lot of single potential so I wouldn't be surprised to hear this on the radio sometime. It's definitely a favorite of mine.
3.) Little Things
"Little Things" is a great acoustic ballad and one of One Direction's best songs in the sense that it shows off their true talent with each of the boys having their own solo. The only complaint on this song is that it was written by Ed Sheeran and it sounds like a total Ed Sheeran song, a great song nonetheless and one that will likely you make you cry if you're an emotional person.
"Little Things" is a great acoustic ballad and one of One Direction's best songs in the sense that it shows off their true talent with each of the boys having their own solo. The only complaint on this song is that it was written by Ed Sheeran and it sounds like a total Ed Sheeran song, a great song nonetheless and one that will likely you make you cry if you're an emotional person.
4.) C'mon, C'mon
We speed things up again with "C'mon C'mon," a hot dance track that will get you movin'! It's by far one of my personal favorites on the album.
We speed things up again with "C'mon C'mon," a hot dance track that will get you movin'! It's by far one of my personal favorites on the album.
5.) Last First Kiss
This song is another great laid back track on the album with a nice guitar played in the background. The song Niall's favorite from the album and that's only fitting because it was written by Liam, Louis, and Zayn. One Direction sing about finding true love in this song and it's great.
This song is another great laid back track on the album with a nice guitar played in the background. The song Niall's favorite from the album and that's only fitting because it was written by Liam, Louis, and Zayn. One Direction sing about finding true love in this song and it's great.
6.) Heart Attack
We're speeding things up again with "Heart Attack" and it has that great pop-sound just like "Kiss You" does. The boys saying "Owwww" in high voices in the background during the extremely catchy chorus of the song just might give you a heart attack if you're not careful. This song is one that will be a party when it's performed live.
We're speeding things up again with "Heart Attack" and it has that great pop-sound just like "Kiss You" does. The boys saying "Owwww" in high voices in the background during the extremely catchy chorus of the song just might give you a heart attack if you're not careful. This song is one that will be a party when it's performed live.
7.) Rock Me
The song opens with another great rock reference using the handclap to Queen's "We Will Rock You." Nonetheless though this Dr. Luke production lives up to it's title as probably the most rock-ish song on the album. The chorus of the song is a little bit odd though, but it's a headbanging song nonetheless.
The song opens with another great rock reference using the handclap to Queen's "We Will Rock You." Nonetheless though this Dr. Luke production lives up to it's title as probably the most rock-ish song on the album. The chorus of the song is a little bit odd though, but it's a headbanging song nonetheless.
8.) Change My Mind
Not sure how I feel about this tune, it's a slow, kinda sappy song. There's emotion and power behind this song but it's not one of my favorites, than again I'm a dude so what do you expect?
Not sure how I feel about this tune, it's a slow, kinda sappy song. There's emotion and power behind this song but it's not one of my favorites, than again I'm a dude so what do you expect?
9.) I Would
Alright on to the awesomeness that is "I Would." As a song written by the boys of McFly, it's got that pop-rock sound that we all know and love accompanied by awesome guitar. It's a traditional song because every guy is featured in a verse, but this song will have you singing along in no time! It only took 30 seconds before I singing those I would's in the background. One of the best on the album.
Alright on to the awesomeness that is "I Would." As a song written by the boys of McFly, it's got that pop-rock sound that we all know and love accompanied by awesome guitar. It's a traditional song because every guy is featured in a verse, but this song will have you singing along in no time! It only took 30 seconds before I singing those I would's in the background. One of the best on the album.
10.) Over Again
We tune it back down again for the second Ed Sheeran written song on the album, but it doesn't sound as Ed-like as "Little Things" does. Much like "Little Things" though it allows us to pay attention to the boys' true singing talent.
We tune it back down again for the second Ed Sheeran written song on the album, but it doesn't sound as Ed-like as "Little Things" does. Much like "Little Things" though it allows us to pay attention to the boys' true singing talent.
11.) Back For You
Another song co-written by the boys of One Direction, it's got that awesome, upbeat pop-rock sound we love. Another great pop song that's gonna sound great if the boys decide to perform it live on-tour next year.
Another song co-written by the boys of One Direction, it's got that awesome, upbeat pop-rock sound we love. Another great pop song that's gonna sound great if the boys decide to perform it live on-tour next year.
12.) They Don't Know About Us
Starting off slowly with a piano before picking up a bit, this song has a bit of 90's R&B/boy band sound. The song is easily one of the best on the album and there's even a little reference to the first album: "They don’t know about the up all nights. They don’t know I’ve waited all my life, just to find a love that feels this right, baby they don’t know about us." By far one of my favorites.
Starting off slowly with a piano before picking up a bit, this song has a bit of 90's R&B/boy band sound. The song is easily one of the best on the album and there's even a little reference to the first album: "They don’t know about the up all nights. They don’t know I’ve waited all my life, just to find a love that feels this right, baby they don’t know about us." By far one of my favorites.
13.) Summer Love
Following the awesomeness that is "They Don't Know About Us" is "Summer Love," a slower acoustic sounding song to close out the standard edition of the album. One Direction sing about a old summer fling (as if that wasn't obvious from the title) and just remember the time they spent together. A nice slow-rock anthem to close out a great album.
Following the awesomeness that is "They Don't Know About Us" is "Summer Love," a slower acoustic sounding song to close out the standard edition of the album. One Direction sing about a old summer fling (as if that wasn't obvious from the title) and just remember the time they spent together. A nice slow-rock anthem to close out a great album.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10 - the album is great and definitely shows the band evolving with the times as a step up from Up All Night. The boys really become a band with this album as they play instruments in the background and even wrote a few of the tracks. The only thing I would change is a collaboration, even just one would've been nice to hear. However, the album is awesome and will not leave fans disappointed.
Take Me Home comes out on November 12 in most countries and November 13 in the US and is available in standard, deluxe, Target, and Yearbook versions. Be sure to go support the boys and pick up a copy.
Take Me Home comes out on November 12 in most countries and November 13 in the US and is available in standard, deluxe, Target, and Yearbook versions. Be sure to go support the boys and pick up a copy.
Posted By: Joe