In the angst-ridden world of teenage pop-punk, clear-voiced Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams stands out — and her neon hair color doesn’t make her any less conspicuous. But Paramore’s music is far from girly. In fact, the pop-punk outfit’s new album, Brand New Eyes, is intense, energetic and hard-rocking almost all the way through.
The album is still held together by the powerful vocals and driving melodies fans will recognize from Paramore’s previous releases, All We Know Is Falling and Riot!
However, Brand New Eyes is a little more grown-up. It’s emotional, confident and just angsty enough to be relatable rather than whiny.
The album opens with a selection of tracks powered by blazing, ass-kicking guitars — Williams clearly isn’t the only one in the band who’s got chops. The first two singles, “Ignorance” and “Brick By Boring Brick,” combine punchy vocals and distorted but catchy riffs.
These are mature tales of love and loss for a band so young. In “Turn It Off,” Williams chants, “And the worst part is/ Before it gets/ Any better we’re/ Headed for a cliff.”
But the tension behind these tracks is real. Paramore was apparently close to calling it quits before writing Brand New Eyes, but band members found the creative process therapeutic and restorative.
Listeners will find Brand New Eyes restorative as well. Aggressive, whimsical and playful all at once, Williams’ vocals just might restore your faith in pop-punk. Williams spent the summer on the road with No Doubt, taking notes from rock’s ultimate frontwoman. But even though she’s not yet old enough to legally drink, Williams isn’t far behind on the path to superstardom. Onstage and on Paramore’s new album, she delivers poignant lyrics with energy unmatched by any of her genre’s male counterparts — and it doesn’t hurt that she blatantly channels Gwen Stefani circa Return of Saturn on each verse of “Ignorance.”
As the album charges forward, the band’s determination to prove itself oozes from each subsequent track. The second half of Brand New Eyes harkens back to Paramore’s previous releases, and some of the band’s frustration seems to dissipate as the songs become more light-hearted — “No one is as lucky as us,” Williams sings on “Where the Lines Overlap.” Williams’ voice sails over grinding guitars on the album’s progressive closer, “All I Wanted.”
Brand New Eyes would be even stronger without the slow, power ballad-esque tracks like “The Only Exception” and “Misguided Ghosts.” Maybe someone thought we needed a break from the rowdier tunes, but it’s that intensity that’s going to keep listeners coming back for more.
Paramore may still have some growing up to do, but Brand New Eyes proves they’ve done a pretty damn good job of figuring it out so far. Since hitting the scene in 2004, Paramore has carved a niche for themselves by creating music for their fans and avoiding pop-punk pitfalls of cheesy lyrics and formulaic melodies. With their third studio album, Brand New Eyes, they’ve succeeded once again. In 2007, Rolling Stone called Paramore “Ones to Watch.” If Brand New Eyes is any indication, we should keep watching.
4 stars out of 5.
