Harry Styles' debut solo single 'Sign of the Times' has drawn comparisons to David Bowie, but not all critics are on board. Writing for The Observer, Barbara Ellen describes the track as a 'bewildering, bellicose dirge' that mistakes length for epic quality.
Ellen argues that the song sounds more like 'Snow Patrol shared one tiny spliff between them listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon' than anything Bowie-esque. She also criticises Styles' vocal delivery, noting that he 'wails, as wise, tragic and gnarled as only a 23-year-old could be'.
The former One Direction member's signature look also comes under fire, with Ellen suggesting it combines 'all Mick Jagger's rejected 1980s haircuts at once'. She concludes that if releasing an overlong song as a former boy band member qualifies one as a 'counterculture genius', then 'something has gone very wrong with the counterculture'.
Despite the criticism, Ellen states she bears Styles no malice and will listen to his upcoming solo album with an open mind. However, she is clear: 'Bowie, or even Bowie-esque, Harry most definitely is not.'
