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That's right, it's time for a Paramore thread.
Their post-split self-titled album, which came out in April, is surprisingly good. Critics are generally saying it's their best yet, and I might agree...
It's definitely a step forward for them. A sprawling, messy album in which they try out lots of new sounds (new sounds for Paramore, at least). I can name 2 tracks that should be avoided — "Now" and "Anklebiters" — but the rest is passable, and some of it is really really good. My favorites:
1. Still Into You
2. Fast In My Car
3. Be Alone
4. Grow Up
5. Last Hope
Their melodies are really in top form, even on some tracks I dislike. (I guess we know that wasn't the Farro brothers' department.) And the production is exquisite, especially on the poppier tracks.
They seem to be channeling Shiny Toy Guns in "Fast In My Car," Weezer in "Be Alone," and Mogwai in "Future." There's a full-blown funk song, and what I think is a Motown throwback. Interesting stuff.
I really enjoyed their iTunes Festival set, and I've been listening to Brand New Eyes on repeat ever since. Maybe it's because I hadn't listened to it in a while. Grooveshark has all their albums available to stream for free. Will have to listen to the new album again today.
I literally can't stop listening to "Be Alone." When Paramore makes a good rock anthem, they made a really really good rock anthem.
That reminds me of "Hallelujah," which I've been wanting to evangelize. (Not a Jeff Buckley cover!) It is a nearly perfect song, an absolute masterpiece of an anthem with divine melodies throughout. It's my most played song in iTunes.
Quote from: Sleepless on September 17, 2013, 09:33:52 AMI really enjoyed their iTunes Festival set, and I've been listening to Brand New Eyes on repeat ever since.
Yeah, Brand New Eyes is really good.
"All I Wanted" is Paramore's other masterpiece as far as I'm concerned... an emotion-wracked showcase for Haley Williams's superhuman voice, and one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard.
I'm also a big fan of "Careful." It's one of those songs where the verses are ten times better than the choruses. (Shiny Toy Guns also does that a lot.) I recommend listening to the first 41 seconds repeatedly... that is a masterful stretch of songcraft and vocal performance.
Anyway, back to the new album... "Part II" and "Proof" and "(One of Those) Crazy Girls" have all fully grown on me. This album has 15/17 good songs, and perhaps 11/17 are really good. That's frankly more consistent than they've been in the past, and this is an hour-long album we're talking about. Impressive.
I've been hearing "Still Into You" a lot lately. I like that they're expanding their sound a little, getting a little more sonically experimental, but overall it's a better earworm than a song. I have a long documented affection toward well-crafted pop music, and this is definitely that, but it's just too superficial. And I can't get over how much it sounds like a Fall Out Boy song.
I actually really really like "Now", even though you put it as one of your "avoids." I reacted fairly strongly against it the first time I heard it, but it's grown on me.
All in all, Paramore's super hit-and-miss to me. Besides a handful of songs, I think I just like Hayley Williams way more than I actually like their music.
Quote from: polkablues on October 03, 2013, 12:51:51 AM
I have a long documented affection toward well-crafted pop music
me too. this thread has people with whom i like talking, so i'll crack the topic and we'll see how that goes, and not at all in order to distract from paramore, who is shall we say the headliner (i listened to them tonight and i'll continue), but because we seem to share affections for pop music
i'll begin how you'd expect me to begin, related to movies:
germany
put me in a room and play any marlene dietrich, falling in love again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vahhrw93yIw) for example, and i'll be so won. dietrich sings during von sternberg's blue angel -- right at the beginning of sound movies there's beautiful german pop music and wonderful cinema
like 1931's adaptation of a musical by brecht and weill, threepenny opera, during a stunning time period for gw pabst. i remain amazed by this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51eBHAYeHEc) (i think the title is in german)
france
mhmm, i've made my way to godard asap. there's much else to say about his '66 movie masculin féminin, but the 103min movie about a pop singer can be introduced by the lovely 1:45min pop song tu m'as trop menti (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZfI2A601i8)
jules dassin's son, joe, became a french songwriter(!!). wes anderson used les champs élysées, a terrific song. i'm seduced as easily by bip bip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D79Y06PyNuA). the chorus has bip bip, he sings bip bip(!)
los angeles
davie allan, from the san fernando valley, is in the trash culture of movies remembered for wild angels. he traveled with his arrows into a bongo party (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTDmUqbWBvs), helped by composer mike curb (whose wikipedia will startle you)
qt used a cover of the shuggie otis song strawberry letter 23 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skZcnQdcLIM) for jackie brown. otis recently toured as an elderly musician, and from what i hear the golden days are gone, yet the songs linger
the nerves helped develop pop rock in the '76 era. their most famous song is hanging on the telephone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emy5mA8Ixtc), because blondie covered it and that was a hit, and a different cover was used in last year's movie electrick children (cover is not as good imo)
i listed others, but they weren't movie related so i dropped them. my post is already long. i'd enjoy a pop music conversation that there are now avenues for, but please, drive to wherever you want. i'll listen
Quote from: polkablues on October 03, 2013, 12:51:51 AM
I've been hearing "Still Into You" a lot lately. I like that they're expanding their sound a little, getting a little more sonically experimental, but overall it's a better earworm than a song. I have a long documented affection toward well-crafted pop music, and this is definitely that, but it's just too superficial. And I can't get over how much it sounds like a Fall Out Boy song.
I think I'm less enamored of Still Into You now, although I still love the verses and the production is amazing.
Surprisingly I'm not that interested in Fast In My Car anymore.
Current favorites from this album, I think:
1. Be Alone
2. (One of Those) Crazy Girls
3. Still Into You
4. Proof
5. Part II
(one of those) crazy girls has swooned me
i didn't expect their music variety. i also don't think now needs to be avoided. the opening for the still into you video is ace, and that's such a playful song
their wikipedia story's got juicy particulars -- for example her christian aspect. fox's dream of the log flume (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S046KlS1rmE) from mewithoutyou has williams in backing vocals. musically speaking any female could have sung, but i don't think there's another mewithoutyou in the religious music culture
yeah this is fun. thanks for the recommendation
Excellent, good to hear.
"(One of Those) Crazy Girls" is much better than I originally thought. Read the lyrics and you'd think it was a Weird Al song, right out of his "insane ex" subgenre. But what really gets me is the vocals in the intro... some incredible subtleties there that are completely expressive of the lyrics, which is a rare thing.
I know this is not an original statement at this point, but Haley can be an incredible vocalist. Expressiveness, subtlety, and power all in one package. She takes it seriously.
And I guess you guys are right, "Now" is not horrible. The "nah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-oww" part is still a bit nails on the chalkboard for me (and reminiscent of their weaker early work), but the rest of the song is good.
true, (one of those) crazy girls begins by sourcing a perspective that propels the song. a lounge room aesthetic establishes itself and bolsters the remaining lyrics. it appealed to me immediately for its fusion of her emotions and musical genres, and i like how the band kicks around genres. for example, now is another genre for sure. the different perspective generates another style of music, which style twins the perspective. that's great
if you guys havent seen this amazing shit yet, you're totally welcome.
:bravo: :yabbse-cry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw-RPm1uOM4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEB6ibtdPZc
To me, the songwriting on the new stuff feels really lackluster, and the whole vibe is tapping into the same 80s pop vein that Carly Rae Jepsen already knocked out of the damn park with her last album. Hayley Williams vocals are still untouchable, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlFMVzo9zuE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1LNQBX8JwE
I might be with you on that. I like the melodies in these new songs, but they could use more guitar.
Just ran across this remarkable live video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYu7K6Ywkg
Well, that kinda makes me excited to hear this album. I will love this if it's even half as good as Emotion.
Edit: I'm only three songs in but this is great. I have a feeling I will like this a lot more then their S/T.
Edit 2: My best Paramore related moment was when I realized that my girlfriend cross tattoo was a direct copy of a Hayley Williams tattoo (she was embarrassed about it for some reason ). She also had orange hair for a while and now it makes me sad that I never asked her to sing Paramore during intercourse.
I'm loving the new album. Fake Happy and Forgiveness are my favorites.