NEW IN MUSIC | Paramore 'After Laughter' Album Review
I’ll be honest. When I first heard ‘Hard Times’ – the debut single from Paramore’s fifth studio album ‘After Laughter’, I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure they still had the ‘magic’. I wasn’t sure the album would spawn tracks I’d become obsessed with like their former releases. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I liked their new look.
But I gave it a chance. I listened to the entire album perhaps a few too many times to pass it off as ‘just for reviewing’ purposes…
Ok. I’m hooked. In fact, I would even go so far as to say I am absolutely in love with this album!
‘After Laughter’ is the perfect collection of upbeat summer tracks with an edge, brilliantly juxtaposed with dark themes and solemn undertones.
Hayley Williams’ stellar vocals reach a whole new level on this album. Just when we thought she was the typical ‘indie rock chick’ with expectedly strong vocals, she proves she’s got that extra edge.
The unpredictable melodies, impulsive high notes, and excitable shouts keep the listener hooked –amazed at how such an infrequent, unique melody could be composed in the first place, and how Williams can remember this capricious vocal rhythm at all. Simply put, she is one amazing talent not to be overlooked.
And the lyrics! Paramore is a band fans can trust will always turn real experiences into poetic snapshots. Their music is enjoyable, and their lyrics hit the right nerve each and every time.
‘Forgiveness’ may echo a pleasant eighties sound, but its emotional fragility is clear: “And I don’t pick up when you call / ‘cause your voice is a gun / Every word is a bullet hole…” Tugging at the heartstrings, Haley gives us reason to listen to her story, and resonate with our own damning experiences. In short, Paramore never isolates its fans with pretentious, upper echelon nonsense. They keep it real.
Likewise, in a day and age where social media is rampant with false happiness and insincere contentment, ‘Fake Happy’ highlights the digital epidemic and how it seeps into our everyday lives. “I’m gonna draw my lipstick wider than my mouth / and if the lights are low they’ll never see me frown”. With bitingly beautiful lyrics like these, it’s easy to understand how Paramore gained the massive following they have today. Honesty, sincerity, and total relatability.
What sets this album apart from its predecessors is the odd, at times ‘out-of-place’ instrumentation, evoking apprehension and complete curiosity. When the abnormal opening bells of the otherwise upbeat ‘Pool’ are coupled with the dark lyrics “I’m underwater / no air in my lungs / my eyes are open / and I’m giving up”, it makes perfect sense to cause unease in the listener within the first few seconds.
Paramore’s trademark juxtaposition continues in ‘Rose-Colored Boy’ - a standout track on ‘After Laughter’. The music itself reflects a summer pop tune, and its opening ‘shouty girl group’ sing-song chant sets the tone for a fun, light-hearted track to potentially sing-along to on an all-girl road trip.
But listen closely, and the lyrics contrast the sound: hurt, frustration and the forced confrontation with a stark reality are evidently key themes. “Hearts are breaking, and wars are raging on…” “Hey man, we all can’t be like you / I wish we were all rose-colored, too” “Really all I’ve got is just to stay pissed off”. So does it still make the cut for the girly road trip mixtape? Hell yes.
‘After Laughter’ is a workout album, a ‘dance-around-the-living-room-when-no-one-is-watching’ album, and a quiet introspective playlist all in one.
Needless to say, Paramore have done it again. And I’ll sure as hell be playing this album on repeat for years to come.
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