parsing out paramore’s neW album

between behind the bandʼs latest release, “This is Why”

GABRIEL BLACK-PLANAS // CHIEF FEATURES WRITER

Nearly six years after its 2017 release of “After Laughter,” genre-hopping rock out t Paramore has returned with a new full-length album titled is is Why.” Featuring emotional descriptions of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, interpersonal con ict and the band’s own history, the record builds on the sound it forged in its previous album while also paying homage to the early-2000’s poppunk scene it emerged from.

e album opens with its title track, which features the band putting on a charismatic display.

Frontwoman Hayley Williams’ passionate vocals describing the fear of leaving one’s house during the pandemic, anxious percussion sections and a very catchy and sing-along worthy chorus all make for a thrilling opener.

e album as a whole is impressive in its ability to display exciting instrumentation.

Song openers’ fresh elements like the C-minor arpeggiated ostinato synthesizer on “Figure 8” or the whimsical, muted guitar on “Running Out Of Time” draw listeners in. Meanwhile, interesting song structures, such as the guitar melody that morphs into a soulful chorus on “Crave,” work to keep audiences engaged.

Longtime fans of Paramore easily recognize the band’s growth through the diverse sounds on the album that stem from earlier projects. Peppier tracks like “You First” and “ e News” could have been B-sides from Paramore’s earlier pop-punk albums like “Riot!” while slower, more somber tracks like “Liar” are reminiscent of Williams’ 2020 debut solo album, “Petals for Armor.” Most interesting, however, are tracks like “Running Out Of Time” and “C’est Comme Ça” that showcase the band’s ability to fuse the new wave sensibilities they developed in 2017’s “After Laughter” with spunky, overdriven guitars and syncopated percussion.

In addition to its dynamic song structures, Paramore has done well in making its lyrical content relatable to anyone in its audience who su ered from anxiety, bewilderment or anger during the pandemic. For instance, “ e News” discusses the overwhelming amount of negative news that many people consumed on a daily basis throughout the pandemic, leading Williams to shout, “Turn on, turn o the news!” during the song’s chorus.

Another part of the album’s charisma derives from how it offers listeners the ability to see the band through its own two decades-long careers together. For example, Williams’ lyrics on how she isn’t able to make good on her good intentions in “Running Out Of Time” may as well be directly addressing anyone who feels like they struggle with meeting the demands of daily life in just the 24 hours that they’re given every day. that people would shit on me about, what if all those things were real?’” Williams said in an interview for Apple Music. “I’ve always been so afraid of what people said about me in the context of Paramore … to be indulgent in that and to say, ‘what if?’ was so freeing.” undergone. A moodier song, this closing track builds infectiously to its impassioned ending, and it was the one I kept coming back to the most.

Paramore being able to create such a solid sixth album is made all the more impressive when considering its somewhat tumultuous history. In 2010, founding lead guitarist and backing vocalist Josh Farro left the band, stating that Williams had acted as though she had been a solo artist, leaving her bandmates out of the spotlight as a result. Criticisms like these are what Williams is referring to in “ ick Skull;” she deftly faces her anxieties by miming the false picture of herself that her detractors paint. ough Farro’s brother Zac left the band alongside him, he rejoined in 2016, and the band went on to release 2017’s “After Laughter.” Featuring heavy synthpop in uences, this record was a marked departure from the band’s earlier poppunk and pop-rock sounds. Following a divorce, however, Williams entered therapy to treat her depression in 2020, during which time she released solo work.

Nearly three years later, “ is is Why” wears Paramore’s past and musical progression on its sleeve. Ultimately, the album’s most satisfying parts lay in its ability to cohesively combine the band’s di erent sounds and its introspective lyricism. e album’s only real weakness is a lack of consistency; while I don’t think there is a single bad song on the entire album, the bombastic opener and soul-crushing closer were my favorite parts, and as such, some of the parts in between fell a bit at by comparison. ough tracks like “You First” and “Crave” still have merit, they felt much more generic than the best of what the album had to o er, making them my least favorite tracks on the album. Instead, I recommend listening to “ is is Why,” “Running out of Time” and “ ick Skull,” which stood out as the best songs on the album to me.

“I’m absolutely saying, ‘what if all those stories

Paramore does best when it innovates, and luckily for Paramore fans like myself, “ is is Why” (mostly) delivers. e band is inviting us to hear its growth for ourselves, and I think we all ought to lend an ear.