Rev Rank: Can Paramore’s new album pick up where it left off?

BY JAYDEN NGUYEN @jaydennguyen_

Paramore is back after a fiveyear hiatus with its sixth studio album “This Is Why.”

This album is a major departure from the band’s bright, poppy 2017 album “After Laughter.” Although the title track, “This Is Why,” opens the album with a sound reminiscent to the electronic pop style of the previous album, the rest of the album takes on a darker, more dismal tone.

In Paramore’s post before the album’s release, the group described “This Is Why” as the perfect album for anyone who experienced emotions like “complete and utter apathy” or “disassociation” during the band’s five-year break.

The album’s second track, “The News,” encapsulates this apathy.

“Rhetorical, deplorable (Turn off) / Historical, and all along, we called it normal,” sings lead vocalist Hayley Williams.

The track’s grungy instrumentals combined with Williams’ vocals feel like a callback to the band’s early sound. Track four, “C’est Comme Ça,” is also sure to provide nostalgia for those familiar with Paramore’s early discography – or anyone who heard “Misery Business” on TikTok.

“Big Man, Little Dignity” marks a shift in the album’s tone. The song opens slow and soft, then transitions into the band’s more traditional guitar-focused instrumentals.

Williams calls out men that face zero repercussions for their actions and shares her frustration in the song’s sharp, biting lyrics. Its lyricism contrasts the softer, more airy instrumentals and vocals of the song, making it a standout on the album.

The following song, “You First,” combines the aggression of the first four tracks with the softness the band expresses on “Big Man, Little Dignity.” Williams opens the track with her usual power vocals and aggression, then moves into a lighter and slower tone in each pre-chorus.

This exchange between a highly energetic sound and a slower, calmer sound forms a kind of pattern throughout the song, weaving in and out until the last second.

Paramore returns to opening with an electronic sound for the album’s seventh track, ironically titled “Figure 8.”

This doesn’t last long – the band layers the initial electronic thrum with an intense and chaotic clash of drums and various types of guitar sounds. This is yet another song that feels very “old Paramore,” while still including electronic pop elements.

“Liar” is the song that stands apart from the rest of the album. Williams sings about her relationship with fellow band member Taylor York, and she takes on a gentler vocal tone in this song to express her feelings about lying to him and herself about her love for him.

Instrumentally, the band slows down completely for this ballad. It puts a pause to the intensity of the rest of the album, then picks back up again in the following track, “Crave.”

While “Crave” is not as “in your face” as the previous songs on the album, Williams’ strong vocals on the chorus express yearning and nostalgia in her own passionate vocal style.

The final track, “Thick Skull,” is also a slower song. Paramore takes on a darker tone in this track, both in the sound and its lyrics.

“I am a magnet for broken pieces,” Williams sings in the opening of the song. “I am attracted to broken people.”

The song feels like a reflection of the band’s experience over the past 20 years. “This Is Why” is Paramore’s last album with its label, Atlantic Records, and this ending track feels like a bittersweet farewell to the band’s highs and lows throughout its career.

Overall, this album captures exactly what it feels like to live in today’s chaos – from wanting to just stay inside the house to feeling bad about your every emotion to being physically unable to look at or look away from the news.

As a longtime Paramore listener, the bits of nostalgia and combination of its pop and pop punk sound made it one of the band’s strongest projects to date. From start to end, each track felt consistent and flowed well into each other.

It could’ve been slightly longer, especially after a five year wait, but ultimately, this is an album I’ll definitely have on repeat.

If you were looking for the soundtrack for being a modernday young adult, this is it.

Favorite songs: “Big Man, Little Dignity,” “You First,” “Figure 8,” “Liar,” “Crave” Least favorite: “Running Out Of Time”