Paramore - "After Laughter"

Paramore - After Laughter
2017, Fueled By Ramen

1. Hard Times
2. Rose Colored Boy
3. Told You So
4. Forgiveness
5. Fake Happy
6. 26
7. Pool
8. Grudges
9. Caught in the Middle
10. Idle Worship
11. No Friend
12. Tell Me How

In my mind, Paramore holds a distinct honor that few bands hold. That is, they've gotten better and better with each release. This culminated in 2013's self-titled album which mixed their original alt-rock sound with pop sensibilities. I found it to be the peak of their career at the time - their final form, if you will. What could the band do that could top that? How could they get even better? Answer: reinvent themselves. This is always a dangerous proposition, as Linkin Park is finding out. Paramore, however, have pulled if off with their usual aplomb. Despite jettisoning all hints of their former alt-rock past, the band has crafted a bright, catchy Eighties throwback pop record. It's immediately recognizable as Paramore but still different from anything they've done before and certainly different from anything on the radio right now. I think that's where Linkin Park erred. Their new album sounds like the usual dreck you hear on the average Top 40 radio station. Paramore, on the other hand, sounds like what you might hear on the radio thirty-some odd years ago. This is a good thing. It's also not really out of left field as a few tracks on the last album kind of hinted at the direction this album took. It's weird because it seems like each song demonstrates some trope of Eighties music but it doesn't come off as ingenuine or pandering.

Now despite the bright album artwork and the upbeat, luminescent instrumentation After Laughter is pretty dang depressing. From the opening notes of "Hard Times" to the moody longing off "Tell Me How," this disc is an ode to bleakness. "For all I know/The best is over and the worst is yet to come..." begins "Told You So." I like the contrast between the music and the lyrics, however, and I think it's just one more thing that makes this record stand out from the crowd. So yeah... four great albums in a row. That's a hard thing to do even for the best of bands. My hat is off to Paramore and hope we've got many more years of albums to look forward to.

Useless Fact: The band put together a playlist of songs that inspired this album. Many Eighties bands make appearances. I know...shocking.

Paramore - "Paramore"

Paramore - Paramore
2013, Fueled By Ramen

1. Fast In My Car
2. Now
3. Grow Up
4. Daydreaming
5. Interlude: Moving On
6. Ain't It Fun
7. Part II
8. Last Hope
9. Still Into You
10. Anklebiters
11. Interlude: Holiday
12. Proof
13. Hate To See Your Heart Break
14. (One of Those) Crazy Girls
15. Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore
16. Be Alone
17. Future

Well it's been a good four years since the last Paramore album. The band has been through a lot in that four years - losing members, etc. It's good to see they didn't call it quits because I've always liked them. I read in an interview that no ideas were off the table when making this record. It shows... seriously, seventeen tracks? Wow! I can imagine them sitting around a table, wild with ideas. A fuzz-filled bass track? Yeah! Hawaiian ukulele interludes? Yes! An 80's tinged gospel pop song? Yep! A lounge flavored soft tune? Why not? An epic shoegazer-inspired finale? Sure! All of this diversity, mixed with some more traditional sounding songs create a fun and diverse album that is really a pleasure to listen to. Hayley Williams has one of the best voices in pop music today. She is equally at home with simple pop songs like "Still Into You" as well as the hard rockers like "Anklebiters." I will say I would have liked to have a nice acoustic song like "Misguided Ghosts" but we do get "I Hate To See Your Heart Break" - a nice sensitive ballad. Speaking of which, it reminded me of Starflyer 59's "She Was My Sweetheart" and I wouldn't be surprised if the band wasn't maybe listening to both Silver and Gold as I think some of those discs influenced this album's sound. Nowhere is this more apparent than the aforementioned epic closer "Future." It starts mellow enough but builds up into a distorted wall of fury that lasts over seven minutes. I have to respect the band for pulling something like that off. The only track I don't care fore is "Daydreaming." It's kind of boring and almost sounds like it could have been on the band's debut, which if you'll remember, I didn't care much for. That being said, Paramore is proving to be one of those rare bands that is only getting better with age. I don't get to say this about a lot of albums, but I say with confidence: Paramore is the band's best album yet.

Useless Fact: Hayley wrote "Hate To See Your Heart Break" for one of the other band members when Paramore was considering calling it quits. He was sad that he wouldn't be able to see his friend and band-mate after the break up.

Paramore - "Riot!"

Paramore - Riot!
2007, Fueled By Ramen

1. For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
2. That's What You Get
3. Hallelujah
4. Misery Business
5. When It Rains
6. Let the Flames Begin
7. Miracle
8. Crushcrushcrush
9. We Are Broken
10. Fences
11. Born For This

I will not mince words - Paramore's debut, All We Know is Falling, was boring. B-O-R-I-N-G! My wife and I were listening to it in the car when we first got it and skipped track after track. It was full of turgid, lifeless songs that failed to bring anything new to the table. Imagine my surprise when my wife showed me the video for "Misery Business." Holy crap! They figured out how to write a hook! It's almost like a completely different band! Riot! is full of fun power-pop. Whether it's the 80's vibe of "Crushcrushcrush" or the playful gallop of "Fences" the songs are bright and exuberant. The disc isn't perfect though "When It Rains" and "We Are Broken" sound like they could be on some random Christian radio station. Overall though, the band is definitely on the right track. Kudos to them!

Useless Fact: Okay... not a fact but Haley's hair looks like Cyndi Lauper's. Anyone else notice this or is it just me?

Paramore - "Brand New Eyes"

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
2009, Fueled By Ramen

1. Careful
2. Ignorance
3. Playing God
4. Brick By Boring Brick
5. Turn It Off
6. The Only Exception
7. Feeling Sorry
8. Looking Up
9. Where the Lines Overlap
10. Misguided Ghosts
11. All I Wanted

Some people probably think Paramore is nothing but fluffy teenage girl music. Well... in some sense it is, but I don't care. Now that they've discovered how to write a hook they've fast become one of my favorite bands. I can't think of one clunker on this disc and that is quite a feat! Songs like the album opener and the first single, "Ignorance" don't stray too far from the power-pop formula the band perfected on Riot! However, there are some surprises here like the ballads, "The Only Exception" a quiet, acoustic love song and "Misguided Ghosts." The latter is a soft, melodic ballad that almost reminds me of The Sundays or Sixpence None the Richer. I think it's quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs they've recorded. Haley's voice shows a lot of range, tackling that particular song with an unexpected sweetness while effortlessly transitioning into a rock grrl -belting out the chorus of "All I Wanted" like she was Ann Wilson from Heart. I really hope these guys stay around awhile because they've got a lot of potential. And unlike Avril Lavigne (the person to whom they're often compared), I have no doubt that the band's song-writing will only get better with age.

Useless Fact: Apparently Haley's fashion is all the rage. There are websites out there that are wholly devoted to Haley wears. One of these websites is in my wife's "favorites." I hope she doesn't plan on dressing our impending baby girl in skinny jeans.