I have a confession to make...I haven't really listened to all that much Paramore in recent years. Sure, I loved RIOT, and songs like Hard Times have slowly sneaked on and off my playlists over the years, but I never really got properly into them. I have a feeling with this new record that my mildly blasé approach may be struck down, because critics across the board seem to be praising their brand new record This is Why en mass, with some serious heavyweight publications naming it a 4.5 or full 5 star album. So with that, let's get stuck in, and see what all the fuss is about, here is my track by track breakdown and review of This is Why:
(This is Why Album Art - 2023 - Paramore)
1."This Is Why"3:27 - Immediately, you get the feeling that this record is a change from the last few. It feels different, and this song has a really funky opening with some nice chunky bass and almost surf guitar. Williams' voice is really suited to this more chill style and I like that, moving into a suspenseful and really effective pre-chorus breakdown before the hit into the main centre of the track. The chorus is nice and catchy too with some great guitars with lovely muted tone and I like how heart on it's sleeve this song is being, it feels like a really honest track from the band. Moving on, the ambiance is also nice in the second verse, it's punchy, not a pop punk rager like we're used to but its a really nice evolution and feels more mature in comparison to say Misery Buisness, but it still feels aggressive, only just from a lyrical point of view. All in all, it's really well put together, the mixing and instrumentation is really killer clean and the song is an undeniable bop, and a nice opener.
2."The News"3:07 - A more rapid punk opener here that feels like a definite change up, it has flavours of old Paramore here too with the almost spoken word and ambient build-up in its verses which is pretty cool. The chorus is also nice and is a good progression from the verse, containing more of that trademark Williams attack that sounds brilliant - it feels like with every word Williams is really trying to slam home what she's saying, its nice to hear some real emotive song writing in music, and this is nothing short of it. I also really like the background guitar in this song too, and the bridge is also really nice and builds in a brilliant way with the muffled vocals before the final chorus. After writing these notes, I've had this track stuck in my head non stop. It's an earwig, that's for sure.
3."Running Out of Time"3:12 - This sounds nice and different in comparison to the last two, with a picked guitar riff and plucky bass and added crisp drum beat, it's a bit stripped back but that just leads into a brilliant build-up into the chorus which is again a more funk guitar and drum focused arrangement, which is becoming a fun little motif. It sounds very clean and polished, and the really good production on it through the layering and background build-up really makes this song feel smooth and seamless. Williams comes in again with another strong vocal delivery on this song, but then again you can't go wrong with her really, some crushing vibrato and classic high range, another funky head bopper to add to the list.
4."C'est Comme Ça"2:29 - Another solid opener, and I like the guitar mirroring the vocals on this one. The repetition is also really strong, and the spoken word is interesting but different so I'm not mad about it giving this record a little more flavour. I feel like this one is strongest in the vocals and lyrics, and seems to be a ballad about just feeling a bit meh, which i think we can all relate to. Yet again, more great drums and guitar mixed really well, the crunchy background guitar gives it a really nice edge however which is nice. It's undoubtedly another head bopper, but I'm really waiting for a big smashing track now or something a little different to what I've heard to far to really take this record by the neck.
5."Big Man, Little Dignity"4:20 - This starts off different, again going with the funk esque alt rock style which is cool, but it's stripped down this time which is a nice new shade. It's a good song sure, but I'm getting a little tired of the same kind of sound on this record. I'm all about these guys changing their sound and maturing from the punk pop roots they came from, but all the songs so far are a little samey. It feels almost tame, which isn't something you'd expect from Paramore, but it's all just a bit safe for my liking. However, I will say the lyrics are cutting as usual, which is nice, and again the guitar tone is killer, and there's some interesting drum breakdowns and fills that keep it feeling dynamic. Good track, but I still want a little more.
6."You First"4:05 - More whiney guitar and some nice tom centric drums here, the mild fry on the vocals really sounds good along with the instruments in this one. It's a nice builder into the chorus, again great vocals, nice instruments, but its just not blowing my mind. Lyrically it's brilliant and has some really cool themes and some golden lines, but I feel like there's a lot to give and it's just stripping itself back a touch too much? Or is this just the newfound maturity in the band? If that's what Paramore are aiming for, clean cut sound with the lyrics doing the talking then they're smashing it, but once again with this song I'm left feeling a little unsatisfied. Another decent track, but nothing new.
7."Figure 8"3:24 - More electric feel to this opener which is a nice break from the funk guitar and drum openers from a lot of the previous ones, and there's more really good attack here, which is welcome, and expected. The instrumentation is again really clean and the lyricism is beautiful, but I just think sonically this isn't my bag, which is totally cool, I can really appreciate what's going on and the attempts here, but when your trying to take on such a huge subject matter there needs to be some more attack in my opinion. If they're really tackling the issues of the world over their hiatus, maybe a touch more bite is required to get these emotions across, because in my opinion, its got a lot of bark, but not much bite. I'm just wanting some more, which actually the latter half of this song gives in some aspects, the big build-up and the layered chorus, but it just falls a touch flat in my opinion in whole.
8."Liar"4:21 - This song feels like it's going to be nice and stripped back, which is nice and a decent break from what's been going on for the past few tracks, this feels like a really vulnerable song in comparison to the previous songs about the state of the world, this one looks in. It's nice and introspective, the bass also sounds brilliant in this song and weaves between the picked guitar melody and drum beat really nicely, the subject matter is clearly about her falling in love with fellow bandmate Taylor York and it's a cute little love story flecked with angst, and it's a really touching tribute to falling in love when it feels wrong and you don't expect it, but it wins in the end - really pretty song, definitely a highlight for me.
9."Crave"3:55 - Back to the jazz guitar and bouncy drums... sure there are more cool lyrics, and the chorus has some great attack as usual, but I'm really tired of this format by now. There's some serious fatigue in the latter end of this record, sure it's sonically really well put together, and sounds brilliant, but front to back this album is a little samey, maybe its meant to be a every now and again type record in a playlist instead of being played from track 1-10. I like what this song is about though, just craving the nostalgia of the good old days, it's tricky not to in the world we live in, but this song seems like a testament to the rest of this record, it's all kind of samey.
10."Thick Skull"3:52 - I like how this one feels, it feels personal from the outset, with some really breaking vocals that feel once again nice and hard hitting. This is a lot more shoegazy which actually I like, it's more atmospheric than the last songs, and breaks really nicely back into the expected guitars and drums, but fits quite nicely when it's accompanied by piano as well. Again, some nice vibrato and drive from Williams as always, she really has so much talent and although I'm not a huge fan of this record, my god she can sing. I really like this song, it's a great culmination of this record and the ones past too, it has definite flavours of after laughter in it which is nice to see, and some impressive guitar with a nice little solo, this is a great closer to this record in my opinion, I couldn't think of something better.
(Paramore - Courtesy of NME)
Overall: I'll be real, I'm not too sure about this record. On the one hand, it's clean, well written, and oozes maturity. It's a step in a pretty great direction that is clean cut and pretty. But at the same time, there's something about it, about how this sound is tricky to stretch across a runtime, and how much clean cut guitar and easy drums I can take. I was waiting for a trump card, something that takes you on a ride like previous works have, and for me this record just got a touch too tired in it's latter end for me. I know that won't be a popular opinion, but hey, it is what it is. I think there's a lot to love, but it's not my kettle of fish.
Rating: 6/10
Highlights: The News, Thick Skull
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