by nickwan
brand new eyes
If you have preconceived notions about the pop-punkers Paramore, please throw them out the window. I have always been an advocate for these kids (just ask Felisha) and completely loved Riot!. They had that harder sound about them that carried a little more weight with me than some of these other fake-sounding aggressive bands. Maybe that was mainly because the band’s main influences are close to my own… At the Drive-In, Fugazi, various hardcore bands… This is just what ended coming out of their amps and mouths. And I totally dig it.
Many will disagree with me, but Paramore is one of the few bands who come close to sounding like At the Drive-In with this new album. It’s got this crazy vibe about it that only the Hell Paso crew brought to the table oh so long ago. I mean, it doesn’t seem that Hayley and gang are doing copious amounts of drugs like the ATDI guys were doing, but they are definitely doing something, and that something is called right. They are definitely doing it right.
The first two tracks, “Careful” and “Ignorance”, definitely give me that older aggressive vibe I always liked. The third track is more than likely the second single off the album, but has some nasty lyrics about it that my friend Brandon Lowder probably has uttered before. The next few tracks keep it moving with that progressive punky sound those late 90s bands used to put out. I’m trying really hard not to live in the past, but this album is making it much more difficult.
Dare I say… brand new eyes is actually a better album than Brand New’s Daisy? I think I will say that. However, does it top Owen’s New Leaves? It’s hard to say. Can it top David Bazan’s Curse Your Branches? I mean… how can you top the albums of the year? I guess if you made the album of the year, then you would obviously top the previous contenders… but is Paramore, those teenagers from Franklin, Tennessee, really going to top one of Chicago’s greatest indie musicians, or even one of Seattle’s best singer-songwriters? Well, let’s give it a few more listens, but sources point to no. But this album definitely is a contender for a top spot for albums of the year. At the highest, maybe #3 or #2… but it’ll be pretty hard to compete with Bazan and Kinsella. At least on my list.
(Still waiting on Tegan and Sara)
This item is tagged for relay.
Michelina’s vs Nick Wan follow up, confusion on when to post reviews, Spoon, Los Campesinos!, Deer Tick.
So, I guess I don’t know how to read either since I kept saying “Los Campensinos!” rather than “Los Campesinos!” (with no N). Sorry for offended you LC! fans. And people who can read.