Room Under Th5 Stairs (Limited Cover Art)＜限定盤/Blue Vinyl＞

For this unexpected pivot, Zayn Malik made the left-field choice to try his hand at something different, layering soul, blues, and country with great results. Room Under the Stairs is a nourishing, revealing, and revelatory set of stripped-down tunes that provide an ideal soundtrack to anything from a campfire at dusk, hiding under a warm blanket, or just driving on an open road with the windows down. Inspired by Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson, Malik takes his recognizable voice -- a standout from his days in One Direction and one utilized on his sensual, R&B solo material -- and proves its versatility, with its depth, grit, and warmth shining brightly on these restrained, rootsy tunes. "Alienated" is a showcase for those vocal acrobatics, backed by rustic guitar twang and whimsical percussion, while sweeping strings and church-worthy keys on "How It Feels" support Maliks yearning cries to a lover who is "breakin my heart." Meanwhile, the pop-kissed songwriting of "Stardust" and "False Starts" provide two of the catchiest, most memorable melodies, while the galloping "Birds on a Cloud" is one of the sole moments of uptempo blood rush on the set. His voice is so suited to this type of music that its a wonder it took him so long to go this route. More than a reductive "Zayn goes country" album, the beautiful Room Under the Stairs is the sound of an artist trying something brave and new, tapping into his soul and coming out on the other side with the strongest album of his career to date. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

ここまで渋くならなくても……と一瞬は思ったけれど、31歳なら普通にアリかも? クリス・ステイプルトンやブランディ・カーライルら一級カントリー作に携わってきたデイヴ・コブをプロデューサーに立てたソロ4作目。従来のR&B路線を封印し、燻し銀のようなソウル&カントリーに挑戦している。ワン・ダイレクションという出自を忘れれば、いかにも彼らしい路線と言えそうだ。
bounce (C)村上ひさし