Right off the bat, if you were expecting another Riot! or All We Know Is Falling, you will not find anything here that will feed your desire. There's trace elements of the Brand New Eyes album, like on the opener "Fast In My Car", but overall, the self-titled fourth album from the pop/punk powerhouse is drastically different. Some of it works, most of it doesn't. The experimentation reigns supreme, driving Paramore to blur the lines between pop/punk and indie. Theres's a reason why those two genres don't always team up, because it sounds so different. Now I'm always up for change and believe its the only way bands can grow. Unfortunately, sometimes a band has to go through growing pains to get to a point where it works. Paramore, to me, is a transition record.
Elements of certain songs work, and if they'd been done differently, I could be talking about one of the best comeback albums of the year (in a year where both Justin Timberlake and Fall Out Boy came back after numerous years off). This record just isn't there. The lead single "Now" will grow on you, and the buildup bridge features classic Paramore stylings. "Grow Up" just sounds like an excuse for the band to channel their inner No Doubt and try and do it justice (which they don't). Electronic elements have never been a staple for the three-piece, but suddenly the entire album consists of breakdowns and bridges that just don't work.
Hayley Williams' vocals aren't as up to par as they usually are this time around, either. At times where you'd expect a guttural scream or a forceful spitfire (ala "Misery Business"), its replaced with a synth or some kind of indie rock breakdown. "Daydreaming" is a perfect example of this, where it just feels like something is missing the whole time. "Ain't It Fun" tries to be a jazzy up-tempo jam track allowing Williams to show off her vocal chops, but the song just comes off as a band struggling to find itself. And the bridge (and all the interludes on the album, for that matter) sound lyrically like she's trying to give the Farro brothers a message of their immaturity for leaving the band. It's the music equivalent of airing your dirty laundry, and it doesn't fit for this album, at all.
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| There's a line between indie and pop/punk. This ain't it. |
Let's get to what I actually liked on the album, shall we? "Part II" is one of the only tracks that feels like the bands previous material. It's appropriately titled, since its a continuation of one of the bands biggest hits, "Let the Flames Begin". The steady phrasing and soft breakdowns leading to a powerful chorus make for a classic track from beginning to end. "Anklebiters" is just straight punk fun, and it doesn't try to be anything else other than that. "Proof" has some great potential, with Williams force-fueled lyrics, and I can deal with the chorus mainly because the guitars really sound great this time. "Be Alone" is also one of the better tracks on the album, proving the band can still do what they've done before, and that is rock an arena; the song fits perfectly into their repertoire. I think "Future" as a closer was a good idea as well, simply because it can speak on two levels: it can give fans a taste of what might be to come (and if so, great) and they can use it to open or bridge gaps in songs during their live show.
Overall, I wrote this review to let fans (and non-fans) know what they were getting into. This is not the old Paramore any longer. What you've got on this album is a smattering of what used to be, and what is to come. It's no question that Paramore is trying to see what they'll be able to accomplish, and they've come a long way. Will they lose fans? Likely. Will they gain fans? Likely. It's anyone's guess as to where they'll go next, but what we do know is that they're not done yet. They're in this for the long haul. And they get props from me for continuing on after such a fallout as they had. Paramore is worth the check out.
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