Paramore

This Is Why

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Genre: Indie Rock.
Released: 10/02/2023
Via Atlantic Recording Group

Album Review: Paramore – This Is Why

If there is one band that isn’t afraid of breaking the mould, Paramore may be that band. Changing their sound is something the band has done throughout their career however when the single ‘This Is Why’ dropped back in September I think the majority of the rock world where taken by surprise at just how different this new album could be. Here’s what I thought of Paramore’s ‘This Is Why’.

The title track ‘This Is Why’ opens up the album with all the groove you could ever want. A song that emanates a really funky feel brings out an attitude and a more indie feel. Smooth transitions and a fast-flowing structure get the album off to a quick yet memorable start. Merging a more angsty vocal delivery with a more radio-friendly sound, ‘The News’ gives off a really unique vibe. From its sharp yet intricate percussion to the slight vocal effects on Hayley Williams’ vocals, the song is expertly mixed for maximum impact.

Surprisingly, ‘Running Out Of Time’ gives off a more psychedelic feel with its “Bleep Bloopy” bass line and accented stabbing riffs. Certainly a much more experimental entry into the band’s discography however it is pleasant on the ear and flows smoothly. ‘C’est Comma Ça’ brings out a bit of a skank with its heavy use of syncopation while the vocals swiftly transition between subtle and dominant.

Up next is ‘Big Man, Little Dignity’ which, unsurprisingly, is quite a driven song that gets its point across clearly and abruptly. Musically, the song is delicate in nature and almost feels to be a direct contrast to the lyrical content of the track. Either way, it has a certain infectious nature about it that will have even the most hardcore person out there swaying to its beat. Bringing a bit more of an emphatic sound to the record is ‘You First’. An extremely powerful chorus is what helps this track stand out. Simple yet dominant percussion drives the track forward while subtle accents in the instrumental help key vocal passages hit that much harder.

Mixing the more dreamy sounds of the previous track with a more rocky influence is ‘Figure 8’ The contrast created with the use of heavy distortion periodically gives the song a tonne of depth and keeps the listener on their toes during their listening experience. Is it really a Paramore album without a heavily emotionally driven track? ‘Liar’ is a vocal-driven song that pulls on the heartstrings to play its sombre notes. Delicately played instrumental helps to complement the impassioned vocal performance from Hayley to create an extremely memorable track.

As the record nears its final rotation, ‘Crave’ does an amazing job of implementing elements from all that has come before it to really solidify this new sound that Paramore has adopted for this record. Not to mention its chorus is almost begging for an entire arena to bellow the words out the top of their lungs in the near future. This album’s swan song is ‘Thick Skull’, a highly emotional and delicate track that closes out the record in a powerful way. The vocal performance on this track is truly remarkable and it does an amazing job of tying the album up in a nice bow.

Paramore isn’t afraid of changing up their sound and despite the revival of the pop-punk scene as of late, the band have stayed true to what they wanted to produce and have come out with an extremely strong album. This isn’t an angst-filled riff fest however it is an album full of emotion, passion and excitement. I’m interested to see what the future holds for Paramore after such a different album release.