Paramore’s new CD is worth listening to.
While picking up a copy of the new Paramore CD, I bumped into senior Justin Smith. He looked at my purchase and declared “Sweet!”
Hate to break it to you, Justin, but “Brand New Eyes,” Paramore’s third album, is anything but sweet.
Paramore has balanced on the edge of being pop-punk and hard rock, but with this album the band has crossed to the edgier side.
Riding on the success of its sophomore album “Riot!,” the female-fronted band has decided to test out a new sound; the addition of guitarist Taylor York and more song writing collaborative have led to a variety of songs that differ from Paramore’s previous music. The new single “Ignorance” captures the band’s high-energy anthem spirit, while tracks like “Turn it Off” and “Misguided Ghosts” showcase a softer, calmer side.
The album can be divided into two halves with track six marking the divider. The first half is typical Paramore with heavily-strummed guitar openings, wailing, and anthem-esque beats. The second half, marked by “The Only Exception” has a lighter feel; the songs being more in the pop and acoustic range. The second half of the album also marks the diversity of the album and shows the change in the band’s collaborative process.
Paramore has come far from its emo roots found on its debut CD “All We Know is Falling;” the 11 track album definitely has a more mature edge. The lyrics have the same subject matter as Parmore’s last two albums — broken friendships, love, connections, self-discovery — but there is no accusatory tone, no whining. Vocalist Hayley Williams sings about taking a stand, moving on and not being tied down by other people’s petty emotions. Her vocals are as strong as ever, best displayed on the track “All I Wanted.” She’s as electric as ever hitting those high notes, and hits you by surprise with her unexpected softness on other tracks.
“Brand New Eyes” isn’t a concept album by any means, but it’s an example of Paramore’s experimentation and growth. On its website the band talks about how it was a cathartic creative process working on this album and it shows. The influences, experiences and raw emotions of Paramore shine through on this seamless compilation. Brand New Eyes offers such a unique voice from Paramore that it is its strongest album yet.
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