EPIC {{arts & entertainment}}

On Brand New Eyes, Paramore might have gotten around to taking off their training wheels, but they only have scraped knees to show for it.

The band’s third studio album is their most mature effort yet. However, I’m not convinced that Paramore (particularly frontwoman Hayley Williams) has the chops or drive to reach post-pubescence. Technically, the playing has improved. The guitars in particular have been refined and speak to guitarist Josh Farro’s developing skills. No, they haven’t made musical leaps and bounds, but Paramore offer up more than power chords. It’s a shame that Williams’ lyrics and voice had nothing to contribute.

Brand New Eyes, to my understanding of the hype, was intended to be the band’s most personal record to date. Williams’ voice just lacks the emotion to make me believe that. When she sings “I’d never trade it in/’Cause I’ve always wanted this” on “Looking Up,” I don’t buy it; her emotionless delivery on “The Only Exception”, a love song, makes me think she doesn’t even believe in love. Either she sings with absolutely no conviction, or the Auto-Tune just distracts heavily from it.

During the writing process, Williams admitted to “internal issues” within the band. This comes as no surprise when listening to the resulting record. It might be awkward to listen to a singer who doesn’t believe in her own lyrics, but it’s downright uncomfortable when the band behind her actually seems to care.

“Ignorance” is the one song on which the band comes together. Ironically enough, it’s also the only point on Brand New Eyes where Paramore sticks to its roots. Williams’ voice isn’t edited to sound uncharacteristically feminine, and fans and critics alike could have predicted the riffs that drive the song.

It’s alright, Paramore. I didn’t take ditch the training wheels until I was thirteen. You have a while to go but plenty of time. — L.

——

For titling an album BRAND NEW EYES there was nothing new to see about PARAMORE’s latest album. I would say ‘hear’ but that would imply actually listening and was something I wholly forgot I was doing time and time again. Normally I’d love to give a breakdown of songs that stood out as hits, misses, and had-potential-but-didn’t-quite-pull-throughs except that BRAND NEW EYES was so stagnant and unimpressive the only impression I was left with was that while the guitar playing may have neatened itself up a little bit they threw on autotune, diddled a bit with Williams’ voice (as in every second of the entire album), doodled out ‘lyrics’ with crayons, and proceeded to string together the most incomprehensible uninspired thing to ever be deemed an album. Part of me is still completely convinced that Williams managed to get through the entire album without actually singing, at least until she finally belted for a few seconds All I Wanted Was You. And like a misplaced period it simply end.s

PARAMORE was single handedly— and quite artfully, I must say— able to write, record, and release an album that not only fails to evoke, but is completely devoid of, emotion. Being able to so completely craft something I couldn’t even pretend to have feelings about one way or the other (I don’t like it, I don’t hate it, fuck I don’t even remember it) is truly impressive. So props to you PARAMORE for your less than lackluster album BRAND NEW EYES. — H.