One Direction's 'Four' review: Boys will be rockers

With "Four" (Columbia), One Direction has set its sights on stadium rock.

The British quintet -- Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson -- has filled stadiums for years with its mix of pop and rock, but this is the group's first album that sounds like a direct descendant of the '80s generation of stadium rockers like U2, Bon Jovi and Journey.

Unlike nearly every other boy band to make a splash in the past three decades, One Direction has roots that aren't in R&B or dance music. They are rock guys, as their love of The Clash and even Wheatus has shown, and "Four" shows they are getting quite good at it. The opening piano chords of "Steal My Girl" telegraph where they're heading with "Four," reminiscent of Journey's "Faithfully" but updated tempo-wise for today. While the verses of "Ready to Run" are in the Mumford & Sons vein, the chorus is pure "Joshua Tree"-era U2.

It's a great strategy for 1D, much like the kids-geared movies that deliberately insert jokes meant for the parents.

However, the guys are also heading toward their sound. On "18," written by Ed Sheeran, they tuck into the same vibe that made "Story of My Life" a generation-spanning smash. The upbeat "No Control" could find itself onto a Fitz & the Tantrums-loving rock station if no one mentioned who sang it.

Sure, "Four" is nowhere near groundbreaking as it skims the surface of tween feelings. However, it may be the surest album from a boy band since 'NSync's record-setting "No Strings Attached."

THE GRADE B

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