Paramore - This Is Why

by Zena Grieg

published: 20 / 3 / 2023

Label: Atlantic
Format: CD

Reflective sixth album from Tennessee rock band Paramore which captures present unease and uncertainty perfectly

Review

Almost two decades after their acclaimed debut album ‘All We Know Is Falling’, the Tennessee rock band Paramore has brought out a new record, their sixth. Fronted by Hayley Williams, herself an accomplished solo artist (‘Petals Of Armor’), this new collection traverses a range of modern themes from war through the snares of social media and societal malaise, the shadow of age a leitmotif throughout. Highlights of this ten-track album include: the opener, menacing title track and lead single bemoaning the lack of empathy in the world; the world-weary ‘The News’ about the unrelentingness of 24-hour news coverage; ‘Running Out Of Time’ a wry dig at the me-generation and its excuses; the catchy ‘C’est comme ca’ with its acerbic lyrics: “Lucky for me, I run on spite and sweet revenge”; the claustrophobic, self-destructive cycles of ‘Figure 8’; the moody love ballad ‘Liar’ with its unabashed lyrics: “Love is not an easy thing to admit/But I’m not ashamed of it/Love is not a weakening if you feel it rushing in”; the emotive ‘Crave’ with Williams grieving for a lost self: “I romanticize even the worst of times/When all it took to make me cry/Was being alive; and the slow-building closer ‘Thick Skull’ with its message of stubborn resilience through vulnerability. An album of contrasts, reflective, at times dissonant, ‘This Is Why’ sonically captures contemporary unease.