Paramore- This Is Why
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Carlos de la Garza
The sixth studio release from alt-rock heroes Paramore smacks as hard as anything they’ve released since their 2007 debut cast them as one of rock music’s most sharply potent post-punk juggernauts. It becomes quickly and clearly evident that the cultural chaos left in the wake of the Trump era and a global pandemic pushed the band over the brink and squarely back into their more aggressive rock tendencies. The resulting record serves as a beautifully blistering exorcism and palate cleanser of the bullshit that’s littered life on planet Earth during the early years of the 2020s, but it does so by confronting those tensions and anxieties straight-on rather than fleeing toward escapism. And through sly and biting bangers like the title track, “Running Out of Time”, “C’est Comme Ca”, “You First” and “The News”, the band tackles an complicated world with an impressive balance of anger and humor, reason and doubt, and ramifications of both a personal and universal nature. Musically, this album returns the ensemble to a more percussive and guitar-driven sound and it rocks as confidently hard as Paramore ever has before. This frames the project with an urgent, high-stakes atmosphere perfectly suited for the material and the times they grapple with. More than anything though, it’s the perfect backdrop to remind us that Hayley Williams stands as one of the most commanding and vital voices, among all genders, in rock today. The reckless abandon and pure emotional grit with which she delivers the album’s most urgent and climactic moments, coupled with the raw tenderness she exudes on more pensive moments like “Liar” and “Crave”, is a truly noteworthy. It’s the undeniable bedrock of an album destined to reign as one of 2023’s finest and essential releases.
Track Listing:
- “This Is Why” (Hayley Williams, Taylor York, Zac Farro)
- “The News” (Williams, York, Farro)
- “Running Out of Time” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “C’est Comme Ca” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “Big Man, Little Dignity” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “You First” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “Figure 8” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “Liar” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “Crave” (Williams, York, Faro)
- “Thick Skull” (Williams, York, Faro)
The 706 
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