
One Direction MADE IN THE A.M.
Since the release of their last album, 2014's Four, One Direction went from five members to four with the departure of Zayn Malik, but not much else has changed. Working with their longtime production team of Julian Bunetta and John Ryan, Made in the A.M. is another slice of high-quality modern pop brought to life by the band's charm. They mostly stick to the formula that got them to the top of the charts, but throw in a couple of surprises that keep things interesting. The album's mix of upbeat dance-pop songs, emotional midtempo songs, and big, gut-wrenching ballads is a familiar one, with songs like "Drag Me Down" and "Infinity" sounding genetically engineered for radio play. "Perfect" is the album's best radio song, with a nice moody verse and some real emotional punch provided by Harry Styles' vocal on the super-hooky chorus. Like on Four, they cop some serious Fleetwood Mac moves, right down to borrowing a bassline from "Dreams" on "What a Feeling." Their ongoing love of the '80s