I have been anticipating this album for the last few years, especially since Paramore suffered the loss of two of it's original members, Josh and Zac Farro. Seeing that they were the main songwriters for the band, I was very curious to see how the band would adapt.
The result is spectacular.
Paramore, their 4th studio album, is a journey through the last few years in the life of Paramore. Hayley Williams, their fantastic front woman, stated in an interview that this record was going to deal with Zac and Josh's departure. They lost two of the members that they had been with since the beginning, so obviously it was going to reflect in the album. One of my favorite things about this album, lyrically, is how real Hayley gets on some of the songs. "Still Into You", for example, is definitely a romantic love song; however, it talks about how relationships aren't always fun and games, and that love will exist despite hardships. It was so refreshing to hear those kind of ideas packaged in an extremely catchy song. It's upbeat and cheery, but still has a nice alternative-rock sound to it. Another lyrically fantastic song is "Hate To See Your Heart Break", which on of the more mellowed out and relaxed songs on the record; it almost borderlines on a country sound. I discovered in the interview mentioned above that Hayley wrote this song about Taylor York, their youngest member, who took the Farro brothers' departure hard. You can see this in the lyrics, with lines like "There's not a single word in the whole world, that could describe the hurt, the dullest knife just sawing back and forth, and ripping through the softest skin there ever was". It's a very beautifully written song, with Hayley singing as wonderfully as always and her touching lyrics showing such emotion.
My favorite song from the album so far has to be "Part II", which is a sequel (if you can call a song a sequel), to one of my favorite Paramore songs, "Let The Flames Begin" off their second album Riot. Not only is it dark and intense, but it echoes so many elements of the song it follows in. It's almost like Paramore is doing a cover of themselves, but evolved. The chorus has a fire that captivates me; I can't get enough of the song. The contrast between the verse, which utilizes electronic beats, to the full blown chorus with roaring guitars and driving drums, gives me chills.
The Interludes that are spread throughout the album are not only serve as great contrast, but show a musical maturity and expansion that Paramore is trying. They all consist of just a ukulele and Hayley on vocals, and they all have an older sound to them, almost like something from the 20's or 30's. They're also fairly short, the longest being a minute and a half. Even though I love Paramore's alternative-rock sound, I was really pleased with how they pushed themselves out of their comfort zone, on these interludes and throughout the album. They slightly did this on their last album, Brand New Eyes, but it mainly stayed in the same area. With this new album, Paramore tried out various types of sounds and influences than ever before. The pace of most of the songs is a bit slower than some of their previous work, like "Misery Business" and "Let The Flames Begin"; however, this doesn't mean that the record makes you want to sleep. It has such energy, and expands out from the alternative-rock/punk sound that Paramore has perfected over the years. Songs like "Ain't It Fun", "Hate To See Your Heart Break", and "Fast In My Car", show an experimentation that the band tried in different directions. "Ain't It Fun", for example, has a bit of a funk grove going on, and even includes a gospel choir. It makes for a unique song that is Paramore, but is different; it's fun (pun intended). I especially love the guitar riff in the beginning and the drums throughout the track; both make you want to rock out and jump to the beat. Another part of the album that I particularly enjoyed was the large amount of bass guitar present in some of the songs. Songs like "Grow Up", "Ain't It Fun", and "Future" all have some groovin' bass lines, which I always love to hear. Bass guitar is lacking in a lot of current alternative-rock music, so it's always refreshing to hear some good bass.
Now, the album closer. "Future", is another one of my favorites from the record. It begins in a much different manner than it ends. It starts with an acoustic guitar, a high-hat click, and Hayley singing softly and intimately. It's a beautiful sound, and continues for the first 3 minutes of the song. That's another difference about this song, for it clocks in at almost 8 minutes. When it hits about 3:15, you hear some other instruments fading in, and suddenly the song takes off in a completely different direction. The drums crash in, the bass line is gritty and loud, and the guitar line is high and soaring. The song is epic at this point; there's truly no other way to describe it. Even though there's no other vocals after the intro, it is definitely one of my favorite songs by Paramore. It shows that they are not afraid to push their own limits and expectations, and really are looking towards the future.
I have not been able to stop listening to this album. It is truly a masterpiece; I'd dare to say it's Paramore's finest work. It's an absolute blast to listen to, and it's various contrasts create a fantastic listening experience. I know that some people will not like it because it is different than some of Paramore's previous work, but there will always be haters. Change is necessary for a band to continue to stay relevant in the music industry, and in the eyes of the fans. People change, people grow up. If Paramore continued to put out the same record every 2 or 3 years, then their fans would become bored and stop caring. Paramore has matured and gained new experiences, and have expressed it in a way that is real and relatable. I think that this record is spectacular, and I can't wait for more from these wonderful people. 5/5
Track-list:
Fast In My Car - 3:43 (5/5)
Now - 4:11 (5/5)
Grow Up - 3:51 (5/5)
Daydreaming - 4:31 (5/5)
Interlude: Moving On - 1:30 (5/5)
Ain't It Fun - 4:57 (5/5)
Part II - 4:41 (5/5)
Last Hope - 5:10 (5/5)
Still Into You - 3:36 (5/5)
Anklebiters - 2:18 (4/5)
Interlude: Holiday - 1:10 (5/5)
Proof - 3:15 (4/5)
Hate To See Your Heart Break - 5:09 (5/5)
(One Of Those) Crazy Girls - 3:33 (4/5)
Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore - 0:53 (5/5)
Be Alone - 3:40 (4/5)
Future - 7:53 (5/5)
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