Louis Tomlinson released his debut solo album Walls on 31st January 2020. I have been pretty much obsessed with it since its release, and so I want to share my thoughts.
Kill My Mind
The first track on the album is Kill My Mind. I feel like it’s got a rockier-edge than anything I’ve personally heard from Tomlinson, which I like. It’s one of those songs you can blast and it starts the album off with a bang.
Don’t Let It Break Your Heart
I will talk a lot about lyrics throughout this post, so we may as well start here. I love the sound and the melody but for me the lyrics:
“Life gets hard and it gets messed up
When you give so much but it’s not enough”
and the chorus:
“Don’t you let it kill you
Even when it hurts like hell
Oh, whatever tears you apart
Don’t let it break your heart”
I feel like these lyrics can relate to most situations people can go through on a day-to-day basis. Even when it hurts like hell, don’t let it break you.
Two of Us
Two of Us was written by the Louis Tomlinson after his mother passed away. It is lyrically beautiful and the song is filled with emotion. It’s heartbreaking and yet somehow, at the same time, inspiring.
“But you once told me don’t give up
You can do it day by day
And diamonds they don’t turn to dust or fade away”“Even when I’m on my own, I know I won’t be alone
Tattooed on my heart are the words of your favourite song
I know you’ll be looking down, swear I’m gonna make you proud”
I don’t want to write the entire song here, but I could. Instead I highly recommend you listen to it.
We Made It
This song I could imagine being played at a concert. Tomlinson on stage. Everyone with their phones in the air, and you take a moment to look around and it’s like a blanket of stars and everyone is singing together as one. That’s what I think of when I hear this.
Too Young
I love the sound of this song. It’s very reflective. I feel like this whole album is reflective. I like that the songs are about something, and maybe someone listening might relate and feel slightly better, re-assured and not alone because of it.
Walls
This song gives me major Oasis vibes. This might be because Noel Gallagher is listed as one of the writers. The only way I can describe this song is to say that, in my opinion, it is timeless.
Yes, I’m serious.
I think this whole album has the potential to be timeless. We can listen to any music of any time-period at anytime, but there are some songs you listen to and think “This was definitely released in 2007”. Or 1990, or 2019.
I feel like this album went in the opposite direction of what’s mainstream. I also think that could mean people who are aware of it will listen to it at any stage of their life, and not just because it feels nostalgic to do so.
Habit
This is one of the more upbeat songs from Tomlinson and I love it.
I love the chorus:
“You’re the habit that I can’t break
You’re the feeling I can’t put down
You’re the shiver that I can’t shake”
It seems like it’s about someone who messed up in their relationship, but they’re not over it and haven’t entirely given up hope. But again, it’s also reflective in the sense about how things must have been from both sides. I adore this song.
Always You
This song is even more upbeat, once again about a relationship and, once again, I adore it.
It starts out medium tempo, then almost slows down but the tempo doesn’t and then it goes back to upbeat. It does this throughout and I love the almost, in my opinion, playfulness of it. It’s the only way I can think to describe it. Again, the lyrics seem reflective, but again, in a hopeful way.
Fearless
To me Fearless has always seemed like a letter to someone. Perhaps to another person or maybe to Tomlinson himself, but all I have to say is Wow. For me this song is saying ‘We all fail sometimes. Sometimes you fail, or mess up, or do something that others might consider wrong, and sometimes it’s in front of a lot of people. But are you fearless enough to try anyway? To stay true to yourself, even if everyone else is telling you No?
Even if that person is yourself?
Perfect Now
Out of all the songs on this album, this one isn’t my favourite. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. However, this does feel almost like a homage to the time Tomlinson spent with One Direction and so, while it’s not my favourite, I can understand and appreciate it.
Side-note: I like One Direction, but this feels slightly out of place to me.
Defenceless
We’re now on the penultimate song – which also happens to be my favourite song of the album.
I love the sound and I love the lyrics. There’s something about this song which really speaks to me. I remember when I first heard the lyric:
“We’re sleeping on our problems like we’ll solve them in our dreams”
I actually had to pause it to take that in. I loved it the first time I heard it and that love has only increased since.
Only the Brave
This song gives me F.O.D Green Day vibes. Not necessarily in terms of the sound or the lyrics, but because it’s a short and somewhat of a different song at the end of an album to to everything we’ve heard previously.
Let me tell you this, this short song packs a punch and I absolutely love it. Although short, I think it may be my second favourite.
I feel this is a great song to close out the album because it leaves you thinking about it and everything you’ve heard and it absolutely leaves you wanting more.
Conclusion
I think I remember when Walls was released some people were surprised it wasn’t more like Tomlinson’s older music with One Direction
I can’t say I was too surprised as all over his merchandise / branding is the smiley face with the two X’s for eyes which, when I see that, makes me think of Blink 182 or Nirvana.
That was the first tip off that this music would be a new direction to One Direction.
Overall I love this album. I find it lyrically incredible and, as I said before, I really think it has the potential to stand the test of time. If nowhere else, it definitely will in my own collection. In my opinion, an absolutely fantastic debut album from Louis Tomlinson.
