Paramore - Brand New Eyes

Band Members
Zac
Hayley
Taylor
Josh
Jeremy


Paramore.net
Myspace.com/Paramore



Tracklisting
1. Careful
2. Ignorance
3. Playing God
4. Brick By Boring Brick
5. Turn It Off
6. The Only Exception
7. Feeling Sorry
8. Looking Up
9. Where The Lines Overlap
10. Misguided Ghosts
11. All I Wanted

Deluxe Edition extra tracks
Ignorance [acoustic version]
Where the Lines Overlap [acoustic version]


The 3rd album from the Tennessee band has changed a great deal since their sophomore release ‘Riot’. For starters they have a new member Taylor on guitar, who has been working and touring with the band for some time but was officially made a band member and album contributor this time round.

Since their sudden departure from their UK Riot tour the band have admitted to having to deal with a lot more than just the usual issues when it comes to producing a new record. Internal band problems and poor communications drove the band to the verge of breaking up and yet it was the music that ultimately brought them back together. The record truly reflects the inner band turmoil they’ve come through and their approach to life and relationships now. What’s even more wonderful is that they’ve pushed themselves musically as well as lyrically. The sound to this album is far more mature and reflects their changing tastes and boundaries as musicians. Produced by the industry icon Rob Cavallo, this album has taken the natural talents of the band and pushed them to their natural edge to get something different.

‘Ignorance’ being the first single release showcases the ‘paramore-sound’ but is only the tip of the iceberg that is ‘Brand New Eyes’. ‘Misguided Ghosts’ is a total shift bringing a softer sound as a background to some of the most beautiful lyrics on the record in a fashion you’d expect to hear on a Dashboard Confessional, ‘Brick by Boring Brick’, perhaps my favourite on the record, is daydreaming fairytale that is brought back down to reality with cutting lines like ‘you built up a world of magic, because your real life is tragic’. The band goes on to confront more personal issues like their faith and relationships with each other and their peers in songs like ‘Playing God’ and ‘Feeling Sorry’. Each musical voice in the band has their moment to shine from Zac’s drumming capabilities in ‘Looking Up’ to Hayley’s always stunning vocals in ‘All I wanted’ as she belts out the words ‘All I wanted was Youuuu’ to the point when her vocals trail into a screaming cry with a Skunk Anansie edge.

Where the band find themselves now is summed up in ‘Where the Lines Overlap’ as they’ve find a place in themselves and together where they are content and happy again and no matter how their careers change from this point, they feel like they’ve succeeded in overcoming the odds. The Deluxe Edition of the album is tied up nicely with some lovely acoustic versions of some album tracks, a making of DVD giving insight into the band and the record as it developed, vinyl version of the acoustic tracks, exclusive poster and postcard as well as a re-print of Hayley’s lyric notebook with handwritten lyrics and thoughts behind each song as a treat for those that can afford it. High praise to a band that has the natural talent and have been blessed enough to find each other, to play together and find friendship and themselves in their music; something we are all grateful for if this is the result.


Review by Laura Heath


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