![]() ![]() So expectations, at least on my end, were high for this new Paramore record.Ĭredit to Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro, Paramore’s career (and likewise Williams’ as a solo artist) has thus far been one of steady continuous improvement album to album, a rare feat indeed. From there, it’s all been uphill After Laughter changed out the sharp pop rock songwriting for Afropop-infused mathy post-rock a la Talking Heads or David Byrne while, the missing ingredient, Hayley Williams’ two solo records added in a frankly superb Radiohead pastiche on her first and a solid post-Phoebe Bridgers country-folk on the second. “ Ain’t It Fun” still has a drum arrangement that has all the snap and swing to really drive a pop song and give it an honest to god danceable groove while “Future” plays at the broader sonic adventurism that the group would later indulge in to great success. Regardless, it is undeniable that, by the self-titled record, it had finally happened. One could argue how much earlier than that it began our fearless leader Jeff makes a strong argument for some interesting if then still-untapped potential in some of the post-hardcore riffs on Riot! while I tend to think the sharper pop songcraft and dialed in instrumental performances on Brand New Eyes are what began to point them toward a solid maturity. In Paramore‘s case, this has been solidified as a firm yes since at least their 2013 self-titled record. An artist who has spent the past decade skewing ever closer to the kinds of sonic ideals places like us tend to favor get cast out more based on the name, the social image, a desire to be hip and to be cool that flies in the face of the fundamental truth of good criticism or, hell, even just good listening: is the record any good? It’s good, right? Right? This is the same problem we run into with records by The Weeknd or, confoundingly, even Beyonce. Put your hand over the name on the record. ![]()
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