The third full-length album from the "X Factor" formed quintet (Harry, Louis, Zayn, Niall and Liam) try their best to show just how much they've grown up, incorporating a slightly more 'rockier' element to their sound, while on a few tracks also trying the acoustic set. All this works for the young lads who also serve a good dish of sugary pop numbers to keep fans happy. 1D have surely charted the course of their future with this album.

The album opener Best Song Ever has a pop - rock touch that packs a massive chorus punch with all members singing to it and also hitting the "oh oh oh" and "yeah yeah yeah" parts. You surely want to join in the singing. Guitars feature more prominently in a few songs from the loud and rocky Little Black Dress, to more subtle strains in Story of My Life, a somber love songabout doing anything for that one person in your life.

The Liam co - penned Diana is about a girl Diana and a slightly up-tempo track with lyrics that go 'Let me be the one to lift your heart up and save your life' to more cheesy stuff like 'Let me be the one to light a fire inside those eyes'. If you have been following the boy band since their debut effort, their lyrics seem to be slowly changing from the boyfriend type to more serious stuff and serious relationships. Good for them, they are old enough to make such changes. Midnight Memories has a rock edge to it and very reminiscent of 90’s rockers Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me."Thetitle track also opens with groovy guitar licks, leading into a peppy pre-chorus, with a heavy riff, real party song to dance to.

You and I is a slow piece, for those quiet moments with that someone special, with a very catchy chorus, very sing-along. The words run: 'Not even the Gods above can separate the two of us'. One Direction are awesome' when it comes to songs like this. While 12 of the 14 tracks have their stamp of songwriting, their love for affairs of the heart just get better as they grow into adults it seems.

The boys have been picking up influences from whatever has been hot in the past year or so, so you have ideas from Mumford and Sons, Ed Sheeran and many others. But that is fine as it all adds to making the album more beautiful. Other tracks that we can go on boasting about are Something Great, which brings us thoughts of Snow Patrol. On Happily the 1D boys sing and stomp along in unison to a giant chorus about trying to win someone back, and like the others this is one of the catchiest songs.

Coming down to the mid of the album we have the up-tempo Don’ forget where you belong that doesn't exactly disappoint, though it's not likely to be one of the tracks to be in your mind for long. Little White Lies has a bit of acapella, break beats and slight auto tune. Better Than Words that ends the album is similar to Midnight Memories, with words like ‘I can't explain your love/ It's better than words.’

The boys have given more ballads this time round and doing what they love, they have come up with an album that just excels in more ways than one.

-- Reviewed by Verus Ferreira