Time for me to do a proper review. I reviewed it at my
blog:
Paramore has gained a cult status of being one of the youngest, and a fan favourite over a mere 5 years. No one expected them to be where they are now, rolling out 3 LPs, 2 Tour Albums, 1 mere EP (which came after their LP All We Know Is Falling) and winning a ton of awards along with it. Considering that they only spent 5 years and none of them even hit 25 years (the band's average age is a mere 21), that is quite impressive.
Many fans around the world are stoked to hear Paramore's recent release, titled brand new eyes, would be released. High anticipations were anticipated for this release, and it didn't help that everyone compares this release to their previous album, Riot!
So how does brand new eyes fare?
For one, it carries on with the emo-pop-punk style that was consistently found in Riot!. It's infectious, and fans would immediately recognize Paramore's style from hits such as Careful, Ignorance and Brick By Boring Brick. It literally screams energy and it bounces off the walls, surging the adrenaline through your blood as you listen to it.
Its pretty much consistent with their progress - as they grew up, their music grew up along with them. Songwriting is still pretty much speared by Hayley Williams and Josh Farro, causing it to still be very predictable at many points. However, it also has matured by quite a fair bit. Lyrics are a lot more down-to-earth; the recurring theme of betrayal, loss and hope is constant through out. It's stripped of the naiveness that made the band so innocent, and introduces a slightly darker side to them - one that portrays them no more as teenagers, but maturing (although slowly) men and woman.
That's where the similarities end.
Don't expect this album to be always bouncing with energy, it seems to have slowed down by quite a fair bit. The later half of the album is a lot much slower, and a lot more emo then punk. It gets a little whiny at times, especially the closing track All I Wanted.
Paramore also sticks to familiarity for this album. You won't find anything outstandingly fresh here, but I'm not saying its just ton of recycled, stale material. It's not pushing any new boundaries. It won't win tons of new fans, and definitely won't convert critics. However, it'll slowly grow on you, and fans (or neutrals) would probably enjoy listening to the whole album without complaining.
Hayley Williams' vocals also tend to be a lot more showcased in this album. There's a lot more opportunity for her to show it off and really let it soar/fly in here. The rest of the band (consisting of Josh & Zac Farro, Jeremy Davis and Taylor York) isn't lacking behind either. It's not outstandingly impressive, failing to really stand out on its own. However, it does its job well in supporting Hayley's vocals and melding the whole song (and album, for that matter) into one really slick album.
The bottom line:
Paramore doesn't disappoint much with this album. It's not completely different, yet it stands out on its own among generic pop-punk albums. It's not a rare piece of art that demands to be bought, and not everyone would buy it, but for those who is looking for some good music and is a little cash-strapped, this is one album seriously worth considering.
