Paramore

After hearing the first single, Now, I was skeptical about how the new album was going to sound. It seemed liked the absence of the Farro brothers had taken it's toll. However, this album is now one of my favorites! It's nothing like their previous albums, moving towards pop rock, rather than their emo/punk rock style before, but you can't say it doesn't work! Each song has a catchy hook that gets stuck in your head all day, and humming Paramore as you're working can't be a bad thing! Still Into You, Anklebiters and (One of Those) Crazy Girls are brilliant songs, with great riffs and drum beats. Even Now has grown on me, belting out the words whilst I'm writing reports! Some Paramore fans will say that it isn't Paramore any more, that they've moved away from their signature sound into something more mainstream, but I don't think that's a bad thing. The songs are well written, with Hayley really stretching herself across the album. The ukulele interludes are fun, and give you a break before the next song rips through your speakers, with some great slow songs thrown in there for good measure. You can't help but admire the way they've developed themselves as a band after losing two members, pushing their sound into something new. Yes it's different, yes it's not the same as before, but a new direction can't be bad. It's a new Paramore for a new era...and it sounds blooming awesome!!

On purchasing this album, I knew I was flipping a metephorical coin. Following the now infamous loss of their lead guitarist and drummer, I was convinced Paramore would either produce an album of run of the mills keyboard pop, or add a ton of new influences to continue their track record of making each album bigger, better and more expansive the last. Fortunately, "Paramore" is the latter... and then some. Old school Paramore fans should not be alarmed... theres a good selection of the pop-punk attitute that charcterised "Riot" and "Brand New Eyes" here, with tracks such as "Anklebiters" and "Fast in My Car" guaranteed to get the mosh pit going at festivals and outdoor parties this summer. But its when they aim for full spectrum brilliance on epics like "Now" and "Ain't it Fun" that the new Paramore really shine. The latter ends with an extended gospal choir coda (yes, you read that right) that had me singing along and clapping at the traffic lights today. "Part II" ingeniously riffs off "Let the Flames Begin", before spiralling into a gorgeous Masun-esque proggy wall of guitars, while "Hate to See you Heart Break" shows the band's ballad writing evolving naturally from Brand New Eye's "The Only Exception". Theres no prizes for guessing the themes behind the lyrics, given their recent history. And at 17 tracks (inc 3 Interludes), it could be argued that the album could have been made greater still with a bit of a trim. By the last track it can seem as if the new meaner, learner Paramore are wanting to pound you over the head with how much they've evolved. Overall though this is by far the best Paramore album, and possible the best rock album of 2013 so far. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to drive around listening to "Ain't it Fun", on repeat.

I'm a fan of Paramore, I love all of their albums post-AWKIF and I have found that the band's self-titled effort to be the weakest one to me, disregarding All We Know Is Falling. I have no problems with the songs themselves, the instrumentation is brilliantly done with ripping pop-punk guitars and fast paced drumming. The only major problem I have with this album is the length. The standard edition is 17 songs long, I have deluxe editions shorter than that! To me, the album suffers from, entertaining but nonetheless, filler songs. The second interlude track, Holiday, does very little for me, and other tracks like Proof (which is basically Still Into You part 2) and (One Of Those) Crazy Girls just seem lacking in comparison to other gems like Anklebiters, Ain't It Fun and the soaring Last Hope. Like I said before, the songs are all well done and well performed, but the weaker tracks are just not as captivating as some others. I recommend this album, but bear in mind that if you want to listen to it all the way though, take some time to get through it all. And if you're like me, and you don't like sitting in one place, I'd recommend a pair of headphones with this.

I have to open with the fact that I do have all the previous albums from Paramore. However this is somewhat different to their previous offerings. I'm not some superfan so don't know them all by name but I do know that Hayley has a great voice. I believe they're described as a rock band but I would say they are something more - it's almost Killers meets Alanis meets roxette.... nope it's none of this it is Paramore. This is a wonderfully crafted beautifully written album with some outstanding tracks some bordering on ballads. It is musically exquisite. I'm not going to go through every track and describe it but what I would say is that if you are looking for a great all round up beat album with some good lyrics and a rocky beat then this is one for you! If you like the soft elevator music then this may be a rather different experience but one I don't think anyone who actually likes music would regret. It may be like springboarding into cold water for some people but once you start swimming you soon warm up and usually enjoy! I would say so far this is one of my favourite albums of 2013.

I love Paramore, so I had no hesitation in buying this album before I had heard a single beat of material from it - I'm so glad that I did! This album is slightly different to their previous material, most likely as a result of the different group dynamic. However, Hayley's punchy song-writing shines through in every song. I feel like practically every song on this album is an anthem and I can't help but sing along whilst I'm out walking or in the car. It's hard to pick the highlights, as there are so many! 'Part ll' and 'Still Into You' are definitely up there, though. I'm not too fussed about 'Future', but only because I love Paramore for their feisty music style, where this is a little slower. The interludes are really cool and I love the use of the ukulele throughout the album - kinda ties it up in a neat little bow. To this day, I still listen to 'Brand New Eyes' and 'Riot' on a regular basis. This album will be joining the elite. They may be smaller in numbers, but Paramore have definitely proven that they're bigger and better than ever.

I have to admit, I was a little reluctant to get this album... It sounded a little too different to all of Paramore's (outstanding) previous efforts and I was afraid they'd 'sold out' their sound. How wrong I was! Not only is this a musical delight, and full of quality and passion and finesse and style, it is also without a doubt the finest of all four of Paramore's albums. Every track stands as a great in its own right, but the stand out songs for me are the catchy 'Still Into You' and the beautiful 'I Hate To See Your Heart Break'. 'Part II', a wonderfully clever and thoughtful sequel to 'Let The Flames Begin' from the second album 'Riot' is also noteworthy. The 'interludes' are anything but fillers - and have a truly breathtaking quality all of their own. The bass-playing is truly remarkable and Hayley Williams' voice is truly sublime. If you're a Paramore fan and thinking twice before buying this, don't! It's amazing! If you're not a fan, get it too! It's their best yet!

I may not be the 'typical' Paramore fan. the metalcore and punk in my CD collection and the grey in my beard indicate I am no teenager. My favourite album of last year was Sempiternal by Bring me the Horizon, my favourite band is Cancer Bats. now that I have established my hard metal credentials, let me stand up and say this loudly and without shame " I LOVE PARAMORE". My relationship with this band started when I accidently bought 'riot!' thinking that they were going to sound like Babes in Toyland. Once I had got over my disappointment, I discovered that I liked the album anyway. The band have grown, and this album is different from their pop punk beginnings. I am not sure what this anymore, its probably their most 'mainstream' album. Hayley Williams' voice in this album is incredible! great songs, amazing vocals. This is feel good music. I will confess that 'last hope' is such a beautiful song that it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it! If loving Paramore is wrong, then I don't ever want to be right!

With two band members leaving, and the quite average singles 'Renegade' and 'Hello Cold World' released last year you'd expect this album to be weaker than their third one. But it isn't! I actually think it is their best album yet! 'Still Into You' is one of the best singles they've ever released. 'Grow Up' and 'Daydreaming' probe into new directions far away from their original pop-punk sound. 'Hate To See Your Heart Break' is a great slower, mellow track. 'Anklebiters' is relentlessly fun, whilst 'Future' is a fantastic ending to the album culminating in a wall of sound. 'Be Alone' is a weak song. I think the title to one of the interludes is a great summary to this album: 'I'm Not Angry Anymore'. The band are no longer angsty and emo like their first two albums. This album (building upon their third) is much more mature and would be a great purchase to anyone who likes pop, rock, indie or punk music.