Paramore
Riot!


4.5
superb

Review

by A.R.O. STAFF
August 21st, 2016 | 325 replies


Release Date: 2007 | Tracklist

Review Summary: I'm not ashamed to say it this was the first album to win my heart and save my soul with rock 'n' roll

All my life, I’ve held a deep, dark secret about my music tastes’ past. My mom led a sheltered childhood and had not been properly exposed to more “indecent” genres of music. Because of this, she entered adulthood with a passion for the only type of music she had really known (other than church hymns or Irish folk songs), country music. And so, whenever I was with my mom, country was what we listened to. Thus, I spent much of my childhood believing that country was my favorite type of music.

And then Guitar Hero came along. It might be cliché or uncool that a video game exposed me to rock music, but what’s done is done. What’s important is that I immediately fell in love with the stuff. All I knew of rock was the mellower or weird stuff from my dad’s Billy Joel and Peter Gabriel collections, but I was immediately blown away by the classics like “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”

The reason I’m reviewing this album, perhaps the reason why I’ve listened to any album ever, is the pure blast of energy that shook out of the television speakers and permeated my eardrums with “Misery Business.” To this day, I can’t explain why it was that song that broke me, whether it be the admitted influence of country on the members, the playfulness and pure sex appeal of Hayley Williams’, well, voice, or the incredibly fresh sound of the alternative rock to my musically virgin ears. I went out and bought the album within the week. It was the first real album I ever bought, and started my obsession with all things music.

Anyway, on with the review.

“For a Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic” is a wall of sound, kicking off with the sass and spunk that encompasses much of the rest of the record. The vocals, guitars, even the drums at times manage to sound pissed off at whoever managed to get on the wrong side of Hayley this time. The whole band bounces and builds off of each other as the song continues on, which climaxes and culminates in a somewhat dissatisfied feedback whir, immediately cutting into “That’s What You Get.” As it begins, it threatens to sound very much like the first track, but grows into something ultimately more poppy and melodic. A joy to listen to, it combines a that heavy sound with beautiful and huge sounding vocals from Hayley.

One thing I should mention now so I don’t have to keep repeating it in the future is what might be the greatest thing about Paramore. You never quite know what to expect. Whether it be in the direction of a whole song, as in the beautiful and vastly underrated “We Are Broken” (rife with thick atmosphere and tortured lyrics), or in the very structure of the songs in general. You never know what genre will come next, or when a breakdown, runaway melody, or bridge is gonna come crashing down or floating in.

“Miracle” fills its runtime with hopeful lyrics, glittering guitars, and soaring vocals, being both lovely and a bit forgettable at the same time. It gracefully leaves the stage before “Misery Business” kicks the doors in and leaves whatever came before in wreckage. You probably don’t need to be told why the song is awesome again. Oddly enough, even more impressive than it is the follow up, “When it Rains.” On the surface, it’s almost filler-like, wedged in-between two fan favorites of the former and “Let the Flames Begin.” However, on further listens, the importance placed in this song becomes clear. The band sounds entirely unified in their effort to make it as emotional and just plain gorgeous as possible without ever sounding forced. From the opening guitar pattering in like a light drizzle, to the earnest plea of “You can take your time/Take my time,” "When It Rains" slowly becomes one of the most meaningful and honest songs Paramore has ever released.

“Let the Flames Begin” kicks up the mood a notch with pounding – almost tribal – drums and an openly rebellious message. Hayley lets the band take over the chorus, adding a dehumanizing distortion to her vocals before eerily sliding back into that iconic riff and coming back up for air one last time before the echoing guitar becomes all that survives. “Miracle” comes in and out pretty enjoyably and harmlessly. It’s a straightforward song, and probably the least inventive of all the tracks on the album. With decent riffs, good interplay, and great vocals, it’s basically as good as you could expect the average Paramore song to be. If there had to be one, this is it.

“Crushcrushcrush” is a weirdo. It’s one of the heavier songs, with sexual lyrics, boundless energy, and an eerie sense of paranoia that’s infused into every second of the song. After the lovely (discussed earlier) “We Are Broken” comes one of those genre-bender songs, “Fences.” The acoustic is audible throughout, no matter how loud and pounding the electric is, highlighting the softer side of Hayley as she pities and mocks at the same time. The band follows suit in what’s part punk, part rock, part… folk? Whatever, we don’t know what it is exactly and that's completely fine.

The final song, “Born For This” is a mixed bag. The call-and-answer vocals between Hayley and the band was probably awesome when they did it live, and the constant shifting nature is great. At the same time, that opening riff is annoying as hell and the semi-political message is lost in the overtly feel-good nature of the lyrics. Not a great way to end such a great album, but not remotely bad either.

In the end, this is the album that shaped my view of music forever. If it weren’t for this, I might still be convinced I love country music more than anything (well, I do still love the Dixie Chicks). I owe Paramore a debt for not only making an amazing album, but for inspiring a younger me to branch out and listen to new music. Thanks to their eclectic structure and genre-crossing boundaries, I have the wide variety of tastes I do now. Thank you, Riot! You transported my soul into the wonders of music.


Riot!

For a Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic: 8
That's What You Get: 8.5
Hallelujah: 7.5
Misery Business: 9
When It Rains: 10
Let The Flames Begin: 8.5
Miracle: 7
Crushcrushcrush: 8.5
We Are Broken: 9
Fences: 9
Born For This: 7


Epilogue: Since then, I’ve gotten my mom to listen to many different genres of music besides country. She really likes rock. And she loves Paramore.



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user ratings (2366)
3.5
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Comments:Add a Comment 
neekafat
Staff Reviewer
August 21st 2016


26763 Comments

Album Rating: 4.4

I know it’s kinda “tl;dr” and I have to work on structure for sure, it’s practically a track-by-track without the spaces, but I had to get this one out as the beginning of me taking the review thing seriously since it was basically the beginning of everything musically for me.



Love the feedback, let me know if you liked it, didn’t like it, I’m trying to make up my approval rating back after that sassy Strokes review I pissed people off with. I’d love to get better as I go.



Thanks y'all

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


this album is still pretty cool

NineInchZeppelinTree
August 21st 2016


18 Comments



this album is still pretty cool


Cool my ass

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


is this like account 9?

Futures
August 21st 2016


12690 Comments


your ass is cool?

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


he's asking for someone to cool his ass cuz

NineInchZeppelinTree
August 21st 2016


18 Comments



your ass is cool?

More than yours indeed, lololololololololololol

Futures
August 21st 2016


12690 Comments


interesting

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
August 21st 2016


26763 Comments

Album Rating: 4.4

What have I done

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


inflicted the wrath of verm through reviewing the worst band ever

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
August 21st 2016


26763 Comments

Album Rating: 4.4

Just as it was foretold

Snake.
August 21st 2016


25410 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

All my life, I’ve held a deep, dark secret about my music tastes’ past. My mom led a sheltered childhood and had not been properly exposed to more “indecent” genres of music. Because of this, she entered adulthood with a passion for the only type of music she had really known (other than church hymns or Irish folk songs), country music. And so, whenever I was with my mom, country was what we listened to. Thus, I spent much of my childhood believing that country was my favorite type of music.



And then Guitar Hero came along. It might be cliché or uncool that a video game exposed me to rock music, but what’s done is done. What’s important is that I immediately fell in love with the stuff. All I knew of rock was the mellower or weird stuff from my dad’s Billy Joel and Peter Gabriel collections, but I was immediately blown away by the classics like “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”




neg

Snake.
August 21st 2016


25410 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

holy fuck this review is so hard to read

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


country gets too much hate

CaliggyJack
August 21st 2016


10306 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

This was way more personal than it needed to be.

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


c'mon guys, neekafat never meant to brag.

CaliggyJack
August 21st 2016


10306 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Never said he was. I just think the review was a bit too personal. Not saying it shouldn't be, but there needs to be balance between review and personal.

CaliggyJack
August 21st 2016


10306 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Im not negging it though

LotusFlower
August 21st 2016


12000 Comments


i was making a joke cuz of misery business come on guys.

also, didnt neg either.

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
August 21st 2016


4053 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Great review, well done! That said, you did point out the two major issues I have with this write up in the comment above, but it doesn't change the fact. I'm impressed with how clear the prose is, though, so overall this was definitely well-written. Just balance structure a bit better and don't get too bogged down in individual track descriptions. Excellent work, pos'd.



And I have the biggest soft spot for this album, too.



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