This Is Why we don't leave the house

 

This Is Why (2023) - Paramore

 Album Review

Notes: This review piece was written in February 10th 2023, the day the album released, it was my first review I've ever written. I've evolved a lot since then and honestly I'd change a lot about this review in hindsight, even if my opinion on the album hasn't quite changed, but it's a product of its time. Worth mentioning it was released to RateYourMusic, like my Stranger in the Alps and Expert in a Dying Field reviews. Enjoy.

Paramore comes back to the studio after 5 years of hiatus, and after 2 Hayley Williams solo projects, 2 albums from Zac’s HalfNoise and a lot of production work from Taylor York, the trio returns to Paramore in their 6th album titled This Is Why.

The instrumental work is phenomenal and Carlos de la Garza’s mixing makes all instruments highlight in their own way, some songs really shine some instruments specially, like Brian Robert Jones' bass and Zac's drums in "This Is Why", guitar on The News, Even some well placed stacked acoustic guitars on Liar.

Special shoutouts when it comes to instrumentals come to Zac Farro, the drum work is phenomenal, it shines in most tracks; the title track, The News, Figure 8 and Liar are some of the big examples, the drums set the feel of the songs and changing the playing style and groove a bit changes the entire feels of given tracks. Carlos also makes a great job at making the kit sound as crisp and evenly mixed as possible, the grooves and fast, clean fills don’t steal the spotlight unless they mean to.

Taylor’s writes creative and inventive riffs, with some great chord progressions like You First, Crave and Thick Skull. He seems to be the one to have taken the most influence from other artists and styles, incorporating many looks and feels into his riffs, some math rock here, some shoegaze there, and some LCD Soundsystem sprinkled around.

Hayley’s vocals feel more interesting than ever, even better than her work on Petals For Armor. The album seems to have pulled a lot from Hayley’s solo projects when it comes to vocal performance, a really big breath of fresh air for the Paramore listeners that now see a wider variety from Williams’ beautiful vocals.

Hayley’s lyricism can be very direct and in your face at times, which can be a perk or a hindrance, when lyrical themes don’t seem like much to dive into sometimes like in a song such as C’est Comme Ça, which just talks about how some things are inevitable.

The lyrical themes of the album seem to center itself around social themes, critics and struggles to fit into society. The title track treats on a difficulty of being a part of the public discourse and feeling suffocated by the outside world, preferring to stay in your own mind. This track is essential because from it the entire album builds itself. Sort of as explaining what exactly Paramore mean by “This is why I don’t leave the house”. “Reasons” vary wildly, from the whole geopolitical state of the world as a result of a global pandemic and an imminence of a world war in The News to the simple fact Hayley is always late to her appointments in Running Out Of Time

The album has a great pacing, which can be attributed to it being only 10 tracks and mere 36 minutes long. That also makes the album very easily digestible and not too heavy, while still being incredibly entertaining and full of essence and variety, from early tracks being very loose and extraverted like C’est Comme Ça and Running Out Of Time to songs that take themselves far more seriously like the last 3 tracks.

The first tracks are very fast paced, The News features a very mathy riff that sticks out very beautifully in the psychedelic vibe of the track, Running Out Of Time brings me back a bit to Fences from Riot! with the country vibe plus the more aggressive energy, and C’est Comme Ça is a fast and exciting track with some funny lyrics:

“ In a single year, I've aged one hundred

My social life, a chiropractic appointment “

The final 3 tracks scale down on the speed, while bringing in more vocal effects, synths, brass and stacking guitars in more melodic and ambient sounds on a track like “Liar”, which is a track with a bigger focus on Hayley’s vocals and lyrics. Lyrics that for a rare moment in Paramore's discography pivots to a self reflection on love and on Hayley as a lover. This song would fit perfectly alongside a song like Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris in PfA if not for the very sick drum groove. Liar transitions into the dreamy “Crave”, which isn’t as much of a strong hitter, but a groovy song that prepares you for what’s next;

The final track “Thick Skull” is a very interesting case study, pulling a lot of influence from Shoegaze; the song builds up throughout, starting with only guitar and vocals, then adding bass for the first chorus, drums and… piano! for what feels like the first time in the album, the song keeps building and peaks at Taylor York’s solo and final chorus in a very noisy and intense climax, the album sticks the landing perfectly.

This is Why is a short, eclectic, electric and at times emotional ride. It sees a different path for Paramore when compared to their past albums, a path that should please not only the people who enjoyed “After Laughter” such as myself, but also those who are more into their older stuff, while being neither of those things. The album grasps at many different influences, and the final product is immensely satisfying.

Final Score: 9/10