“This Is Why”…
…you need to listen to Paramore’s new album ASAP.
By Sommer Wagen
Never have I been more disappointed about a 250-word count than now. I need an Alexandrian library full of volumes to describe how I feel about Paramore’s sixth studio album, “This Is Why.” I’ll try to keep it short.
The much-anticipated album, said lead singer Hayley Williams, is a culmination of lessons learned over the years, some of which “are really personal and some that are part of a bigger picture that we are all engaged in.” In the same way, this album perfectly blends Williams’ recent solo work (which I highly recommend) and the quintessential Paramore pop-punk sound. You can tell that the trio of Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro have tremendous creative and personal chemistry after nearly two decades of growing up together through a somewhat fraught history.
Paramore put their three singles for the album, “This is Why,” “The News,” and “C’est Comme Ça” towards the beginning of the album, which usually I’m not a fan of. However, this album’s deep cuts are just as strong, if not more enjoyable than the singles were upon first listen. The bassoon on Big Man, Little Dignity, and Figure 8 are exciting new experiments that are great successes, and nothing will top the transition from “Running Out Of Time” to “CCC.” Like every good Paramore album, the track order is genius, and each song builds upon the one before. You’re completely enthralled by the final track, “Thick Skull,” when Williams murmurs hauntingly, “I am a magnet for broken pieces.”
Williams, York, and Farro poured years of creativity, introspection, rage, resignation, vulnerability, and reflection into this album, which absolutely shows. In sum, if I had to wait another six years for this good of a Paramore album, I’d do it in a heartbeat.