Brand New Eyes

Paramore

Paramore's Brand New Eyes is in my opinion, the band's best and most consistent record. Hayley Williams used the opportunity to air many grievances regarding some of the interpersonal turmoil that existed within the band. On top of that, the lyrics on Brand New Eyes seemed to poke little tiny holes in Williams' faith. It was not a display of total dissension, but it was enough to draw up concerns in fellow songwriter Josh Farro, a devout Christian. They delivered an album that was honest, vulnerable, and critical, although, the price was further alienation between Williams and Farro, who would split off after the release of this album in unceremonious fashion.

The album is bookended by the album's two best songs, Careful and All I Wanted. The former is all gas, no brakes with it's relentlessly pummelling drum performance and the dissonant, yet very catchy guitar riff. Between the impressive belts, Williams digs in to her lines with an aggressive amount of bite. In the instrumental bridge, I also love how the band plays with rhythm; stopping, starting and occasionally playing over the bar line. All I Wanted is definitely not as urgent by comparison, however, Williams' show-stopping vocal performance and its more Nirvana-esque soft, loud, soft dynamic is what makes this song stand out as one of the best. The way Williams sings "all I wanted was you," finishing on a high enough note already, and then dramatically sliding up to a higher octave is arresting. This song also has an incredibly heavy finish as more fuzz guitars pile on to create this, thick, enveloping wall of sound.

While everything in between doesn't quite match the excitement of those two songs, this album is still packed with catchy, finely crafted rock tunes: strong instrumental performances, awesome vocal deliveries and melodies, and engaging songwriting. The closest the band comes to perfection again is perhaps on the track Brick By Boring Brick. The lead guitar line sounds like it has a quieter octave buried underneath, although, that layer has this searing, trebly quality to it which makes the melodic line pop a little bit without having to resort to using more dramatic effects. Also, the chorus is absolutely killer thanks to another stellar performance from Williams. The only part of the song I don't particularly care for is the build-up at the end. It can be a risk to finish a song with rising tension that ultimately fakes you out in the end. The build-up would have to be pretty satisfying in its own right and I feel like in this example, the band doesn't really achieve that. The "ba-da-ba" adlibs the band performs prior to Williams' re-entry feel kinda spiritless, making the final section not all that impactful.

While I'm being critical, I guess I can say that the two calmer moments on the record, The Only Exception and Misguided Ghosts, were the only two songs I wasn't totally smitten with. I'll admit that The Only Exception is immaculately produced, but as far as love songs go, I find this one to be a little corny. Williams goes meta essentially saying that she swore never to sing of love because of her jaded perspective informed by the collapsing of her parents' relationship. But of course, Williams is singing this about a partner who has put her back on the road to believing in true love, resulting in this one and 'only exception.' Eh. Misguided Ghosts is a delicately plucked acoustic tune which is fine, but ultimately isn't necessary. The band isn't really known for pushing sonic extremities so I don't really feel the need for a cool-down moment, especially when the results are not as compelling as anything else included here.

The last thing I would like to point out is that I like how the record was sequenced. I feel like there is a clear progression in the ideas and themes of the record. In the first half there is a lot of reservation, caution, and questioning which transitions - ironically with The Only Exception - towards more understanding, confidence in one's self, removing excess baggage in your life, and being thankful for the journey you have been lucky to embark on. I can draw a lot of parallels between this album's progression and how I have grown and evolved in my own life. And that's perhaps why this record has stuck with me more so than any of their other works.