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Inside AP.net
| Paramore - brand new eyes | Paramore - brand new eyes
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen
Release Date: September 29, 2009
The "great orange hope" has delivered. brand new eyes is Paramore's best album so far. It has all the passion and whole-heartedness that their debut All We Know Is Falling possessed but combines it with the slick, tight production that was Riot! to create something beyond all previous releases. Though definitely not without imperfection, the record features songs that will please every listener, be it die-hard fan, music critic, or a skeptical AP.net member. This time around, anyone who listens through this album cannot deny the immense talent of every band member. On brand new eyes, Hayley Williams' well-known powerhouse of a voice is not the sole driving force of the record. For once, I actually believe her stringent, repeated statement that "Paramore is a band."
"Careful" opens the album with a furious crash driven by Zac Farro's near-rabid drum tempo that isn't careful in the least. Williams stated that Farro had held back on previous releases for fear of overpowering her vocals. No fear. The entire band steps it up: lead guitarist Josh Farro, bassist Jeremy Davis and rhythm guitarist Taylor York each get time to shine, as if the band is using this first song to re-introduce themselves to their fans (and introduce themselves to those who have been living under a rock since "Misery Business" hit the airwaves).
The band has certainly matured lyrically, though they certainly fall into cliches on occasion. "The Only Exception" begins acoustically and features some of the best Paramore lyrics yet. Williams sings, heartbreakingly honest, "When I was younger/I saw my daddy cry/And curse at the wind/He broke his own heart." "Exception" is apparently the first love song from this band and Williams gives the whole story within the song (for those of you who really want to know).
"Ignorance" is among the weaker tracks on the record (and is their yet-to-be-a-hit first single); it essentially is Misery Business 2.0, with a barely different guitar riff, but this time Williams directs her fury at her bandmates rather than a chick who stole her loverboy in high school. There's no denying that the entire band is angrier than ever before, but angrier does not equal better. The angry-at-the-price-of-quality idea plagues other tracks such as "Turn It Off" and "Feeling Sorry," which begin to blend into a blur of hard drumming, shrieked vocals and predictable chord progressions after a few listens. The chorus of "Turn It Off" would sound more at home on a "Let Go"-era Avril cd. ("In the freefall/I'll realize I'm better off/When I hit the bottom"? Really, Paramore? Really?) But each have their redeeming qualities-- the fervent breakdown on "Looking Up" caught my attention for the first time on that song-- that keep even the worst songs on the record from being truly terrible.
"Playing God" mixes it up, utilizing a slightly slower tempo and a vocal back-and-forth by Williams and Farro, she yelling "This is the last second chance" and he retorting "I'll point you to the mirror." Paramore is at their best when collaborating, like the fist-pumping gang vocals at the end of "Brick By Boring Brick" that also features a hard bass line by Davis. Same with "Where The Lines Overlap--" Farro again joins Williams on vocals, saving the song from Just Okay land. Williams abandons the slick in favor of a more gritty tone that takes the song to the next level.
"Misguided Ghosts" is easily the most well-crafted, mature song the band has ever produced. Exquisitely subtle acoustic guitar by Farro and gloriously bare vocals by Williams make this simply the most beautiful Paramore song to date. Yet, the grandiose "All I Wanted" that closes the album (if you don't count "Decode" [and I don't]) gives "Ghosts" a run for its money. This song can really be called epic, a song worthy of Muse or, dare I say write, U2 that is meant to be played in an arena to thousands of people. Williams raw-throated, insistent chant of "All I wanted was you," sliding from note to note will send chills down your spine at the very least. (A popcore dork will probably burst into tears.)
There's no denying it: Paramore are here to stay. They have proven themselves with this record and shown that they deserve all that they have worked for. The record has mediocre cuts, certainly, but the incredible quality of others make me look forward to their next record, which will hopefully be entirely comprised of brilliant tracks like "Misguided Ghosts" and "All I Wanted." This band has not yet released their opus magnus, but "brand new eyes" shows us that they are capable of it.
Buy The Record: Amazon | iTunes
myspace.com/paramore |
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Displaying posts 1 - 15 of 35. |
10:40 PM on 10/13/09 | their best album yet, and only 82? | | |
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10:46 PM on 10/13/09 | I agree with you a lot. I have to listen to the album more to know how I feel in the end about it, but there are some really good songs on it. I like the lyrics and instrumentation for the most part. | | |
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10:54 PM on 10/13/09 | I like the bit you said about the rest of the band "living under a rock since Misery Business," because I feel the same way. The rest of the band definitely gets a chance to shine on a lot of the songs on this album. | | |
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10:58 PM on 10/13/09 | this review feels forced I guess? it's not bad, just not good. | | |
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11:06 PM on 10/13/09 | I also agree with you on Misguided Ghosts and All I Wanted.
It baffles me that they left out All I Wanted from their set. | | |
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11:08 PM on 10/13/09 | I want to write my own review. Definitely deserves low-90s. Brilliant album. | | |
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12:03 AM on 10/14/09 | et tu, taking back sunday? Whoa, I totally thought this wasn't going to get approved. Awesome sauce.
Thanks for reading/commenting, guys. | | |
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12:14 AM on 10/14/09 | et tu, taking back sunday? Originally Posted by xjulianx89 Vocals should be higher. |
I don't feel that Hayley has truly hit her highest point as a vocalist. Her voice sounds incredibly untrained and uncontrolled at times on the album.
Originally Posted by ezco25their best album yet, and only 82? |
I'm not an easy rater. An 82% is a pretty high score in my view. | | |
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12:35 AM on 10/14/09 | "This song can really be called epic, a song worthy of Muse or, dare I say write, U2 that is meant to be played in an arena to thousands of people."
Wrong. | | |
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12:42 AM on 10/14/09 | Originally Posted by touchstoneI don't feel that Hayley has truly hit her highest point as a vocalist. Her voice sounds incredibly untrained and uncontrolled at times on the album.
I'm not an easy rater. An 82% is a pretty high score in my view. |
untrained? her vocals in all i wanted sound so incredibly trained and controlled it's not even funny. people are too quick to judge her and the band. it's a good album, 82 is fair. | | |
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01:40 AM on 10/14/09 | Originally Posted by touchstoneI don't feel that Hayley has truly hit her highest point as a vocalist. Her voice sounds incredibly untrained and uncontrolled at times on the album.
I'm not an easy rater. An 82% is a pretty high score in my view. |
You think her vocals are uncontrolled? Holy shit, this album really showed how limitless her voice is. Her voice was absolutely stunning in this album.
The first time she sings the first chorus in Careful is almost heartbreaking. Its so fucking good. | | |
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03:14 AM on 10/14/09 | i agree - i can't stand "Ignorance". "All I Wanted Was You" is definitely my favorite track. It's the one i play the most. when she hits that very high note, it suddenly makes me feel embarrassed that i have no talent at all. | | |
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06:22 AM on 10/14/09 | Gotta say I don't agree with some of this review. Paramore are at their worst when they slow it down. They're a good pop-rock band but (at least right now) lack that special something needed to make a ballad intelligent and meaningful.
For example "I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind" is a horrible lyric, and just sounds like a band who aren't quite mature enough to portray hurt and heartbreak in a way that doesn't seem cliched. They can clearly perform such songs, their cover of Stuck on You is amazing, but I'm not convinced they're capable of writing them, yet...! | | |
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