PARAMORE - brand new eyes
PARAMORE - brand new eyes
Written by Sarah Mudgway   
Thursday, 01 October 2009 21:18
Paramore - Brand New Eyes PARAMORE have been through a lot.

Since their second album 'Riot!' was released in 2007; the band have spent a Summer on Warped Tour, revived themselves from the brink of breaking up, received a Grammy nomination, captured the hearts of tweens, teens and the young at heart with their involvement in a certain vampire flick, acquired a new guitarist, spent a Summer touring with the original power-house female-fronted band No Doubt... plus released an album which is touted to hit the number one spot on the charts in the U.S. this week.

Not bad, for a band who are all under the age of twenty-five.
'brand new eyes' was always going to be a make or break album for Paramore; both in cementing their steadily increasing fan-base, as well as securing the future of the band. The lyrical maturity in 'brand new eyes' suggests that the trials and triumphs of the past eighteen months, have been thrown into this album with an honesty and sincerity which isn’t often found in chart-topping music. 'brand new eyes' is a harsher yet more aware, new take on the world around them and it works.

‘Playing God’ showcases this new found awareness and almost cynicism early on, with vocalist Hayley Williams belting out an extremely catchy chorus of; “next time you point a finger, I might have to bend it back or break it, break it off… next time you point a finger, I’ll point it to the mirror.” This track, as well as ‘Brick by Boring Brick’, also introduces a more noticeable use of male backing vocals courtesy of guitarist Josh Farro. While his presence isn’t huge, it adds a refreshing new dimension to the album which I hope they incorporate more into future releases. Current single ‘Ignorance’ also shows off the darker tone Paramore have adopted, however this new found darkness has not infringed on their ability to write damn catchy radio-friendly tunes. The band still manage to channel their 'Riot!'-esque pop sensibilities, with the wide-eyed optimism which made them so endearing in the first place.

‘Looking Up’ is a gem situated in the middle of the album, which references their all too close encounter with breaking up. “No it’s not a dream anymore, it’s worth fighting for. God knows the world doesn’t need another band, but what a waste it would have been... we’re only getting started” is sung with a forcefulness, which can only be taken as fighting words from Williams. Indicating that as much as it is up to them, the band isn’t planning on disappearing anytime soon. ‘Where The Lines Overlap’ follows on from this optimism and appreciation, with a chorus of "I’ve never been happier, no-one is lucky as us, we’re not at the end but we already won". Paramore have been all too close to death, received a second life... and are going to embrace that with everything they’ve got.

The album ends with more experimentation style-wise, from the five-piece. ‘Misguided Ghosts’ is a sweet and soft track, stripping away the distinctive Paramore qualities; resulting in an almost folk-like sound which allows Williams' voice to shine. Album closer ‘All I Wanted’, begins in much the same vein, building to a rousing crescendo before the band drops off leaving Williams to sing out “all I wanted was you”, with a vocal maturity which was not seen in their previous releases.

'brand new eyes' is a must have for any Paramore fan, or fence-sitter. It’s catchy, it’s honest, and it tells the story of a group of young adults finding their place in the world; overcoming hardships and celebrating their triumphs with an aggressive optimism and hope for the future.
 

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