paramore - after laughter - recording and anticipation

unsurprisingly I like all of this now, though the closing trio sounds like it belongs on a longer / more ambitious record.

Yeah, I really like the sequencing here, how it starts with all the knockout backyard barbecue tracks and gradually works its way into sprawlier ("less grounded," in Caramanica speak) territory. "No Friend" does so much to anchor the record; I'm so glad they didn't cut it.

tbh I'd like this album a ton more if it had like, another 10-20 minutes of material on it, even uneven material, just to better balance that big mass of polyrhythmic 80s stuff and put it in perspective. That was part of what i loved about the s/t one, how it worked as both a pop record and an exploratory endeavor. But historically most of their albums have been pretty lean so I guess this is a return to form in that way

"Forgiveness" is wonderful and the best take on the very very overexposed 80s soft-pop thing I've heard in a long time

aw man, i just made a post to this thread and the android app ate it. trying again:

Despite the talk of this not being like a classic emo paramore album, i think if you rearranged it for crunchy guitars and more soaring vocal lines, this would sound more like brand new eyes than self-titled.

Ok, that worked. My other thought in the eaten post was that i really like all her little vocal strains and squeaks in Idle Worship.

hope folks who like this make their way to Flock of Dimes stat

Despite the talk of this not being like a classic emo paramore album, i think if you rearranged it for crunchy guitars and more soaring vocal lines, this would sound more like brand new eyes than self-titled.

― how's life, Friday, May 12, 2017 9:48 AM (three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is exactly what i thought when i first heard it. "fake happy" -> "26" is like going back in time to brand new eyes

flock of dimes is great not sure i understand the relationship

tbh I'd like this album a ton more if it had like, another 10-20 minutes of material on it

Yeah I think this is what I was trying to get at, there's a pretty broad sonic canvas here that could have used a S/T type length to explore. but y'know "leaves you wanting more" is one of those good problems

i doubt this'll get mewithoutyou any new fans but if any of y'all like "no friend" and are unfamiliar i highly recommend getting into mewithoutyou

i think that will be youwithoutme tbh

Otm about the Brand New Eyes feel

Also about mewithoutyou being very good

Really digging this, especially the first half.
The '80s pop revivalism doesn't bother me at all here, cuz that guitar player has it FIGURED OUT how the jerky arpeggios of brittle new wave relate to African high life guitar

i.e. he's studied his English Beat

lol, I definitely gave Special Beat Service a spin in the last week.

hard times

Gif or gtfo

https://media.giphy.com/media/cq5vJZkfJB9PW/giphy.gif

Bought this irl at Target today, so now I own one CD. Still haven’t listened to the full album though.

Really loving this new Paramore album 'After Contra'.

Heh. (Listening now.)

I really enjoy this. Not sure about "No Friend" but it doesn't bother me. Am I making too much of their Nashville connection, or is there a bit of a modern country vibe on some of these choruses? Thinking Fogiveness, Fake Happy, and 26.

Pretty good first listen.

enjoying "grudges" a whole lot

btw is it me or is the production a bit muddy at points?

oh PLEASE

i thought this was one of the best produced pop records in years lol

"Forgiveness" is a wonder on earphones.

i thought this was one of the best produced pop records in years lol

Agreed - shiny as required but not nearly as aggressively mastered as most

haven't been able to listen on headphones yet tbf (on living room speakers for now)

rose-colored boy is one of my favorite tracks at this point!

I suspect Hayley has listened to ArtAngels a lot.

Love how "Forgiveness" never specified whether Hayley thinks the addressee actually deserves forgiveness or not - maybe recognising that the answer to that question may not be particularly relevant to their problem.

And I love the line "it could take me all your life to learn to love".

xp: yeah, there are definitely a few moments.

there are a lot of great, quotable lines on this, moreso than on the s/t

Agreed. Williams is in top form, and York and Farro match her.

btwn this and Kendrick I gather you just hate slow songs Alfred

I'm impressed that Williams and York are the only credited writers. Not that I thought they were at all incapable, just that they didn't go the lazy (imo) Taylor Swift route and hire a ringer to make their transformation, just (like Haim) a really sympathetic and intuitive producer.

I don't see Swift's move as lazy: she wanted a sound and sought the writer/producers most capable of it.

btwn this and Kendrick I gather you just hate slow songs Alfred

― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.)

ça dépend! I prefer the slowness on the eponymous album.

i think "tell me how" is the best closer they've ever done

which has reminded me that all of their closers are baseline incredible

I agree w/ that, and also both ballads on this are way preferable to idk "Hate to See Your Heart Break"

Haha I was going to say "Tell Me How" is amazing but difficult for me to decide whether it's their best closer when "All I Wanted" exists ("and when the world treats you way too fairly..."), and I adore "Future" as well.

Love that "26" is so obviously a sequel to "Misguided Ghosts".

The York-Farro interplay in "Tell Me How" is on point.

"Future" is a pure novelty to me tbh, like it's neat that they did a post-rock song but I never actually get through it

xpost I only think the Taylor Swift move was lazy because she was an established successful crossover songwriter herself (mediocre or no), but when she decided to go big she picked a team that would churn out hits whether she was involved or not. Like, they did not need her, they've written dozens of huge hits with little or no input from the artist. This Paramore album, though, I find it sort of inspiring (or something less strong) that the band itself (like the 1975, to an extent) proves so capable of big pop songs without relying on one of the usual suspects.

I'm not saying Swift's lazy move was wrong, as such. But I think music like Paramore and Haim has so much more personality - Aint It Fun, still, and Hard Times, they sound so refreshing - and I would have been interested in hearing Swift, had she not hired out for hits, try to do the same all by herself.

I don't know, it's just personal preference, but I find Max Martin so big, boxy and heavy handed - joyless, really - but stuff like this, Haim and the 1975 is so wonderfully light on its feet.

Second that I think her singing is great on this. Can't explain why, but I keep thinking of someone like David Byrne singing "Forgiveness" or "Hard Times."

Yeah. Comparing this to Hella Good, which this reminds me of DON'T AT ME - just underlines what an amazing singer she is

Hayley's lyrics (and performance of them) are so declaratory that she's risk slipping into hectoring if her vocals weren't so endlessly nuanced and expressive.

The way the fluttering percussion and bass on "Forgiveness" slip into that steady pulse for the chorus is A+ devastating (-ly simple) pop craftsmanship.

yep

I agree w/ that, and also both ballads on this are way preferable to idk "Hate to See Your Heart Break"

― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, May 14, 2017 2:45 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Man idk, both these songs are great, but Hate to See Your Heart Break is sublime.