Album/EP

Paramore - After Laughter (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

May 13, 2017

7 min read

Paramore – After Laughter
Released: May 12^th 2017

Lineup:

Hayley Williams | Vocals
Taylor York | Guitar
Zac Farro | Drums

Paramore online:

Facebook: Paramore
Twitter: @Paramore
Instagram: @Paramore

It’s been 4 years since Paramore made their triumphant comeback with their Self-Titled album, the first since the departure of the Farro brothers. Since then, the band have embarked on world tours, 2 Parahoy! Cruises, won Grammys and gone to Number 1 on the Billboard Charts. They also parted ways with bassist Jeremy Davis in that time.

After Laughter has been highly anticipated for quite some time now, with many people questioning whether Paramore would even make another album. February 2017 saw the return of ex-drummer Zac Farro, which sent fans into a frenzy. April 2017 came with the release of “Hard Times”, the first single and opening track from After Laughter, as well as the release date and album details for the high anticipated album.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEB6ibtdPZc&w=560&h=315]

So let’s get into it. “Hard Times”. When I first heard it, I wasn’t really sure what to think. Sure, it was a great song, but it was so different from their previous releases that it took a few spins to get used to it. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, it’s riddled with 80s pop influences. The lyrics on the other hand, like the rest of the lyrics on the album, can resonate with almost anyone. “Hard times gonna make you wonder why you even try”.

After hearing the opening track, it’s pretty clear what to expect. However, while a majority of album has an upbeat 80s pop vibe to it, there are elements of the softer, more relaxed side of Paramore that we all know and love. The band who gave us similar tracks like “Misguided Ghosts”, “The Only Exception” and “When It Rains”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw-RPm1uOM4&w=560&h=315]

Tracks on the album like “Rose-Coloured Boy”, “Told You So” and “Pool” hold that upbeat pop element, whereas songs like “Forgiveness” and “26” possess more of that softer sound mentioned earlier. While the band’s sound has changed quite dramatically, their lyrics have remained quite the same. Raw, passionate and honest. When you think about this, this band has been through a lot in the past and you can see that lyrics like “Oh please, I bet everybody here is fake happy too” from “Fake Happy” and “Don't need no one else, I can sabotage me by myself” from “Caught In The Middle”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBmlbzW1-yc&w=560&h=315]

Overall, this release is a display of raw and honest emotion masked with an upbeat pop sound. It’s a great album, holding a unique sound from their past discography, but it still holds that same passion every Paramore album possesses.