Review Summary: I know I'll be crucified for this, but...
The album, by nature, rubs fans the wrong way. It was nothing like what we'd come to expect from Paramore as we knew them. From the heavy alternative of "All We Know Is Falling" to the pop-punk spike of "Riot!", nothing had led us to expect what their self-titled album would be. Well, mostly.
Songs like "Now" and "Anklebiters" are refreshing for those who love the same-old same-old Paramore, the heavy guitars mixed with the surprisingly poppy and memorable melodies and choruses in the combination we know and love. Even the opener "Fast in My Car," while admittedly a bit jarring with it's thudding percussion and waves of weird distortion, comes across as just a different shade of the band we've heard before.
In fact, the first major game changer -- nothing like anything we've ever heard from Paramore before -- comes along at five songs in with "Moving On: Interlude." This sun-dappled ukulele tune was sure to alienate some of the diehards, and alienate it did. Surely Paramore knew this, which is probably why they sprinkled two other so-called "Interludes" throughout the album, "Holiday" and "I'm Not Angry Anymore." Both of these tracks are just as pretty and likable to those with an open ear as the first and are a welcome break from some of the heavier sounds and emotions throughout.
Yes, variety just absolutely permeates the entire album. The gospel-tinged "Ain't it Fun" breezes along with it's nagging guitar line and massive scope as an entire choir comes in to join in the self-deprecating fun, and then immediately cuts into "Part II", a completely different yet absolutely familiar song for Paramore. A literal sequel to the fan-favorite "Let the Flames Begin," it serves as a whammy of scope and musical complexity. The synths, walls of guitars, and bombastic choruses would've already made this track a winner, but when it all melts away and builds back up into a glorious and breathtaking bridge is when it earns its place in the category of Paramore classics. This type of genre-switching is common throughout the album. Some will find it frustrating, I find it refreshing and important in keeping audience interest throughout the colossal 64-minute-long album.
One thing I will readily admit is a problem with the record is its inconsistency. It's not only the most wildly varied Paramore album in terms of genre, but also in quality. On the same disc that we have masterpieces like "Future" and "Last Hope" (more on those later), we have songs like the grating "Grow Up" and generic "Proof," that, while not bad, represent the worst of Paramore's catalog. While clearly not album-breaking, these two easily stop the entire album from being the best album they've put out. On such a long album, it really wouldn't have hurt to cut a couple songs.
That being said, the other fillers are quite agreeable and lovely. "Daydreaming," which plays like, in Hayley's words, "a total rip of 'Dreaming' by Blondie" (just as I always suspected), is colossal in size and emotion and just really damn listenable. Joining this are the amusingly sad yet musically buoyant "(One of Those) Crazy Girls" and the plain feel-good pop-rock of "Be Alone."
Actually, one of the big problems some have is that "poppier" sound of the self-titled. And while I despise Top-40 pop music as much as the next disgruntled college student, there is a key difference because the two. Pop music, at its core, is about feeling good and not being ashamed about that. The problem is when it sounds manufactured and cranked out by we're-all-having-a-good-time machines, which is never the case with Paramore. On tracks like "Still into You," the obvious pop hit from the record, Hayley always sounds honest in her music and her feelings. She sounds happy, is happy, and that makes us happy. So yes, it may be pop sometimes, but as long as it's good, real pop, I will never complain.
The same goes for tracks like "Hate to See Your Heart Break." While nothing like anything preceding it in Paramore's sonic palette, it spins a web of warmth with gentle guitars and calming strings, and doesn't try to be any one thing in particular. It simple is. As we descend into the achingly reassuring and smooth extended outro, sure, we can label it as folk-pop-soft-rock or whatever but that's missing the point. This is what Paramore is now, either we like it or we don't, and that's okay. They certainly don't mind.
Lastly, the Masterpieces. I know these will be unpopular opinions but it's a review so this is where I shall place them: "Last Hope" and "Future" are two of the best Paramore songs ever recorded. "Last Hope" starts with the simple notion of "gotta let it happen," and happen it does. Growing from simply a girl and her guitar, synths pile on and drums pound in, the song blossoms into an entirely meaningful and beautiful song showcasing some of her best writing ever. She takes us on a journey of overcoming the wrong and becoming what we must, and we're with her the entire time. By the time the gentle "ahs" signal the end of the song, transcendence has been reached.
And "Future"... it's hard for me to talk about it with a critical mindset. It's hard to even explain it, it simply moves me in such a way I can't exactly put into words. The gentle, gorgeous acoustic verses gleam in with reassuring words, while the clock ticks all the time in the background reminded us of our limited time. The shift from the lovely acoustic to the harsh electric mayhem that presides over the majority of the track is gradual but monumental. There's so much meaning in the wall of sound created in this portion, but attempting to express it would be meaningless. It's different from person to person. Some may hate it, some may love it, but that reaction is important. Also, that fade back in is just brilliant.
So there you go. What we may have gotten if the Farros hadn't split away is unknown to us all, but I have a hard time believing it would be any better than this. It could just be my love for bands that know when to switch it up, but Paramore's self-titled really does represent something new for the band. While some may criticize the decision of running from their roots, the album is clearly the most mature album they've put out yet and the ability to see past them is evident of that. And while the pure "let's try anything" feel may have caused some problems in the consistency, and while it's definitely not their finest work, it might be their most admirable simply for the risks they took and the attitude they take everything with. And it leaves me definitely excited for whatever Paramore has in store for us next.
Paramore: 9
Fast In My Car: 8
Now: 8.5
Grow Up: 6.5
Daydreaming: 8.5
Interlude: Moving On: 8.5
Ain't It Fun: 9
Part II: 9.5
Last Hope: 10
Still Into You: 9
Anklebiters: 8.5
Interlude: Holiday: 7.5
Proof: 6.5
Hate to See Your Heart Break: 9.5
(One Of Those) Crazy Girls: 8
Interlude: I'm Not Angry Anymore: 8
Be Alone: 7.5
Future: 10
