PARAMORE - THIS IS WHY
Since their soaring pop-punk/emo days, Paramore have become known for re-inventing themselves across each record. In fact, they’re masters of it. From the explosive sounds of 2007’s Riot! to 2017’s self-effacing After Laughter, each record has seamlessly fit together like an ever-expanding jigsaw, branching out to depict a true picture of the American pop-punk icons, who, in 2023, are a vastly different band to what they once were.
Equally as confident and wonderful as when they began, by slowly peeling themselves away from the mainstream pop-punk world they once dominated, the trio have found themselves attached to a different kind of musical nostalgia - one that finds them honing in on the slick sounds of the ‘80s, exerting more of an indelible influence on current pop music than ever before. This Is Why, the group’s sixth album, is the first in the bands catalog to feature the same lineup as its predecessor, continuing their excellent foray into post-punk, riddled with a new set of anxieties against a hardened exterior, and it’s everything you could’ve hoped for.
Exercising the angst of 2022 to an elasticised post-punk beat, Williams speaks to the struggles of many in ‘The News’, a track focusing on the feelings of anxiety and outrage. Standing as one of the bands loudest songs in years, the track rides it’s bassline to a theatrical, funk-infused guitar while Williams touches on our fickle but often all-consuming relationship with online discourse and the detrimental impact it can have. “Every second our collective heart breaks / All together every single head shakes / Shut your eyes, but it won't go away / Turn on, turn off, the news,” she sings. She sounds tortured but against the jerky, horror-infused guitars, the adrenaline rush is truly unmatched.
Elsewhere, the subject of being in your late twenties/early thirties dominates record. “It was on my list, I swear / I meant to get to it,” Williams confesses on ‘Running Out Of Time’, an album highlight that evokes the sudden realisation that your time isn’t as limitless as you once thought. As the 33-year-old frontwoman tackles the fears of adulthood head-on, it’s undercut with a succession of blunt excuses such as “I was just so tired,” and “what if I’m just a selfish prick?”
Somewhat returning to their roots in the second half of the record, ‘You First’ and ‘Liar’ combine the atmospheric density of Williams’ brooding solo albums with 2009’s Brand New Eyes. Packed with Bloc Party inspired guitars, ‘You First’ is propelled by the ferocity of Williams’ voice - something that she clearly feels at home with - as she hypnotically weaves her vocals on the bridge before crashing into the belter of a chorus whereas ‘Liar’, a moody and tender ballad that serves as a discreet love song, holds its own with beautiful harmonies and rich instrumentation full of chiming guitars, giving the record an extra layer of depth while remaining unmistakably Paramore.
As it shakes out, lyrically, This Is Why is no uplifting listen. It’s bookended by futility and fueled by a belief that, as a society, we’re all screwed. That aside, it’s a record full of surprises, development and maturity from an act that wears everything on their sleeves; though Paramore continue to erase any remnants of their well-worn pop-punk/emo labels, This Is Why continues to solidify the trio as one of the most dominant pop-rock acts on the planet.
Shannon Garner
★★★★☆