Boys to Men: One Direction Peak With 'Four'

It's kind of hard to imagine that U.K. boy band One Direction has put out a record every November since 2011. This year was no different: just like the well-oiled pop machines that they are, the quintet, who are all now in their early 20s, released their fourth studio album, fittingly titled (albeit unoriginal) "Four," on Nov. 17, marking the group's strongest, and most self-assured, album to date. It also may be their last LP as One Direction.

Most assembled boy bands don't make it much further than Album Four before completely disintegrating into pop music history. *NSYNC only put out three records before disbanding and the Back Street Boy's fourth record was the beginning of the end for them. And no one cared about the New Kids on the Block when they released their fourth record in 1994; by that time both *NSYNC and the Back Street Boys were gearing up for a pop take over. More recently, the Wanted (often seen as 1D's contemporary adversaries) announced they were taking a "hiatus" in January after releasing their 2013 third album, "Word of Mouth."

So it's not surprising that breakup rumors have been plaguing the boys of 1D for some time now. According to the word on the street, "Four" will be the last album by Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. If that's the case, 1D will be going out after hitting their stride: "Four" is the strongest record the band has put out. It's their most "adult" record too, but they still have fun, unlike last year's "Midnight Memories," which does carry some of their biggest singles ("Story of My Life" and "Best Song Ever"), but everything else sounds like a carbon copy of an innocuous Mumford & Sons album, which is music no one should be ripping off, much less organically creating.

Though 1D continue their Starbucks-ready, cash-grab sound, it's dialed back and there are plenty of songs that don't sound like folk music made for a shopping mall. The band's boyish charm that is highlighted in interviews and in music videos, translates well into their music, like on the endearing #yolo-drunken-night-anthems, "Ready to Run" and "Act My Age."

"Four" is their loudest, cheeriest and most cohesive LP, but the group is most successful when filtering different influences and being more involved in the music-making process.

1D have never been shy with riffing on classic pop and rock songs: their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful," released back in 2011, plays off the "Grease" song "Summer Nights," while their early U.S. takeover "Live While We're Young" is undeniably similar to the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go." The first single off "Four" was the Journey-sounding (New Found Glory rip off?) "Steal My Girl," one of the band's most mature-sounding tracks yet. The song was also co-written by band mates Tomlinson and Payne.

When 1D isn't playing with folk rock, they shine when dabbling with classic rock. "Ready to Run" is just what you think it is: An ode to Bruce Springsteen. The widescreen stomping anthem was co-written by Tomlinson and Payne again, and it's one of the strongest songs on "Four." The following cut, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," co-written by Styles, is another Springsteen wink, with booming guitars and rolling drums as the group chants, "Trying to find you but I just don't know / Where do broken hearts go?"

Second single, "Night Changes," is an emotional and tender ballad that will make all tween girls' hearts explode into confetti and rose petals, but will be a successful radio hit.

"No Control," is one of the best tracks on "Four" and will hopefully be 1D's third single. It's one of the few tracks where the boys unbutton their top collar button and let loose. It's the band's take on a Killers song with a dash of Foster the People's forgotten "Pumped Up Kicks."

There are some misses on "Four," however. The back half of the record (especially on the deluxe version) drags on and becomes monotonous. Songs like "Spaces" and "Stockholm Syndrome" blend together into one long guitar-strumming yawn session.

Still, one of the most impressive things about "Four" is the production and mixing. 1D and the band's team are able to achieve grand-scale pop rock with each track. Nothing sounds small; even the intimate and whispery ballads feel huge. The production is the backbone of the record, nuancing every guitar pluck, shimmering rhythms and echoing vocal, which never get muddled or lost in the mixing.

As breakup rumors mount (Malik was recently missing from a 1D event which only added fuel to the fire), I still find it hard to believe the lucrative band will call it quits, so "Four" will most likely not be be 1D's last album. Even though other boy bands like Australia's 5 Seconds of Summer, who toured with 1D, the U.K.'s the Vamps, the 1975 (also from the U.K.) or the absolutely horrible New York City-based AJR (I'm praying to the pop gods this band never happens) are encroaching on 1D's boy band swagger, 1D are still on the top of the boy band pyramid.

"Four" shows a group of young lads ready to grow (take a look at the risque lyrics in "Girl Almighty") and push forward on a sound that isn't just for kids anymore. 1D are evolving from boys to men.