By Joann Lee, Staff Writer
Finally active after a prolonged period of silence, Paramore released their self-titled album in early April. The band was left reeling from the departure of co-founders Josh and Zac Farro in 2010, but they wasted no time putting together an album geared towards finding the band’s musical identity once again. Paramore even hired a new producer, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who understood the band’s desire to explore a new image, and thus, Paramore was born.
“The self-titled aspect of the whole thing is definitely a statement. I feel like it’s not only reintroducing the band to the world, but even to ourselves […] By the end of it, it felt like we’re a new band,” lead vocalist Hayley Williams said.
Paramore doesn’t just feature one new sound, but also reveals an entire collection. The band’s punk-rock days still live on in “Anklebiters,” but there are also hints of country in “Hate to See Your Heart Break.” There are even cheery ukulele interludes where before, gritty electric guitars used to rage. The rage isn’t completely gone though; it’s just matured. The unsteady anger has been channeled into fiercely quiet moments of introspection, most accurately exemplified in “Future.” The quiet voices slowly intensify with emotion, with the calmness in Haley William’s voice fading as soon as the emotion leaks through the guitar shrieks and steady, overlapping drum beats and cymbal crashes. The song ends with the emotional instrumentation fading in and out of earshot, hinting at more to come. The whole album is unique and brings together a wide spectrum of different genres in order to demonstrate Paramore’s quest for a new identity in 17 songs. Though there is a wide range of sounds on the album, I can’t help but be reminded of Gwen Stefani, circa early 2000s. Nearly all of the songs are reminiscent of Stefani’s own grungy-sweet style, particularly Paramore’s ballads.
The album is certainly an 180-degree spin on Paramore’s usual genre, but it’s a change for the better. The band has adopted a mature sound that really highlights William’s vocal talents, and the instrumentals are better than ever. After this album, I can’t wait to see what Paramore’s next one is going to be like.