Taylor Swift - Evermore
by Zena Grieg
published: 8 / 3 / 2021

Label:
Universal Music
Format: CD
intro
Impressive second album in a year from Taylor Swift which finds her continuing to develop in an indie-folk direction
‘Evermore’, the second album in a prolific year for Taylor Swift, continues the indie-folk theme of her July album, the Grammy-nominated ‘Folklore’. One of the highest-selling albums of the year, ‘Evermore’, like its predecessor, was written and recorded during the COVID 19 lockdown. Topping the Billboard Top 200 chart, this new release continues Taylor Swift’s stylistic distancing from her former pop-oriented sound and features contributions from various other artists including Bon Iver, HAIM, Marcus Mumford and The National and producer Jack Antonoff. Commenting on Instagram on her ninth studio album, Swift said: “… we just couldn’t stop writing songs…. it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.” The fifteen tracks, telling stories of infidelity, loss, yearning, sacrifice and women finding their voice despite disappointment, resonate with Swift’s lyrical prowess, underscored by acoustic guitars, piano and subtle electronics. Highlights of this fifteen-track collection include the opener, the understated ‘Willow’ with its compelling lyrics: “Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind/ …Wreck my plans, that’s my man,” against a background of emotive violin and glockenspiel acoustics; the eloquent ‘Tis The Damn Season’ about the longing to rekindle an old flame: “You could call me “babe” for the weekend/…..And the road not taken looks real good now/And it always leads to you and my hometown”; the catchy sardonic country murder ballad collaboration with HAIM “No Body, No Crime”; and the poignant celebration of her beloved grandmother ‘Marjorie’ with its powerful lyrics: “Never be so polite/You forget your power/Never wield such power/You forget to be polite”…”What died didn’t stay dead/You’re alive, you’re alive in my head.” ‘Evermore’, the continuation of a different musical journey which started with ‘Folklore’, a departure from her previous self-contained albums, signals a new, intriguing artistic direction for Swift.
Track Listing:-
1 willow2 champagne problems
3 gold rush
4 ‘tis the damn season
5 tolerate it
6 no body, no crime
7 happiness
8 dorothea
9 coney island
10 ivy
11 cowboy like me
12 long story short
13 marjorie
14 closure
15 evermore
16 Digital Booklet: evermore
Band Links:-
https://www.taylorswift.com/https://www.facebook.com/TaylorSwift
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13
Label Links:-
http://www.umusic.co.uk/http://www.universalmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/UniversalMusicGroup
https://twitter.com/umg
Have a Listen:-
soundcloud
reviews |
1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023) |
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Expanded and reworked version of Taylor Swift’s 2014 album which saw her make the transition from country to pop |
Folklore (2020) |
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