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ALBUM REVIEW: "After Laughter" by Paramore

   The discussion surrounding Paramore and their shifting sound and internal tensions has always bored me to hell, partly because I have a hard time caring but also because it distracts from the music that was so important for me growing up. Regardless of whatever new direction they were heading in - which they the artist have every right to do - there are three seminal 2000s emo rock albums that still exist in the same form they always have. So while I'm obviously interested in seeing where they choose to travel artistically next, as soon as the complaining and useless arguing starts I'll be the first to put my hand up and leave. Did I like their last album as much as Brand New Eyes? No, but I still enjoyed listening to it. Was I hoping Paramore would stop screwing over their fans and go back to what they wanted and deserved from them? I think you'd have to be trying pretty hard to come up with a more self-entitled and infantile approach to a band and their music.
   I approached After Laughter the same way I always try to with anything; clear of any expectations and with fresh ears. After Laughter is a great collection of sharp hooks, snappy guitar work and instantly singable choruses, and is also overall a whole lot more memorable than 2013's self-titled album. It sounds almost nothing like Riot! era Paramore, and so coming in with expectations of that kind of sound and songwriting style will only result in disappointment. Hayley Williams is still the focus on almost all the songs, and she still delivers the same smart, sarcastic lyrics she always has, but there is a sense of optimism that rarely made an appearance on earlier releases. There are always going to be references to 80s pop in discussions about After Laughter, but I think that what Paramore are tapping into is something more expansive than that. There certainly are those elements present - sharp and tight drumming, quick fire guitar licks and catchy choruses - but the songwriting ensures that After Laughter never feels like a cheap attempt to bask in highlights of the past.
   The biggest improvement between here and Paramore is the band's ability to exercise restraint; not only in the tracklisting (Paramore had a much better album buried somewhere in its 17 tracks) but overall songwriting and structure in particular. Paramore felt like a watered down version of what the band used to sound like, but here on After Laughter they seem much happier in embracing a new direction of sound, not trying to keep one foot still in the past. It's this commitment to change that makes After Laughter not only a much better album than 2013's Paramore but a bold, self-assured step forwards.

   Favourite Tracks: Told You So, 26 and Caught In The Middle

    Least Favourite Track: Grudges

   Rating: B+

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