First Listen: Paramore - "brand new eyes"

lanie: it is really hard to appreciate the epicness of paramore on a first listen, can I just say that?
julieann: yeah, probably this is a bad plan
lanie: it's not like you can't appreciate them but their singalong quality is a huge part of why they're awesome
julieann: truefax
julieann: mentally i'm prepared to turn this whole thing into a plethora of eisley jokes, just like the brand new review.
lanie: noooo
julieann: think of how much stuff we listen to that lends itself to a lot of eisley jokes.

Track One: Careful
I don't like the repetition of "more" in this. I think mostly, I have issue with with the way it breaks into what's pretty much two distinct words. I hate that in singing. It makes me crazy. Otherwise not a bad track, but that one little annoying thing is putting me off. It's whatever. - Julieann

This track is par for the Paramore course. I love when Hayley sounds angry -- and she does, but this song is just here. Not a great pick for a first track. Not everything can be the most epic song ever, but I was hoping for something a little more impressive. - Lanie


Track Two: Ignorance
This is actually the first review ever posted on this blog. View it here.
http://loseyourcred.blogspot.com/2009/07/first-listen-paramores-new-single.html


Track Three: Playing God
The title didn't really hold up to what I expected, which was blasphemy. I like this track. Hayley Williams is pissed. Better watch your fingers boys, because she's about to break those suckers off. And then Lanie gave me a Taking Back Sunday earworm. She's a whore. - Julieann

There's a line about pointing someone's finger into a mirror that was a little cheesy and kind of ruined the end of the chorus for me. It was better than hearing about the three fingers pointed back at oneself when pointing fingers but still. It's a good mid tempo jam and I can't find much fault with it. - Lanie


Track Four: Brick By Boring Brick
So I'd heard this one before, because I think it rolled through on my iPod or something since it's been lurking on the internet a while. I don't know what that says about the song that I listened to it then couldn't remember it, but probably nothing good. Then I heard the "ba da ba da ba ba da" shit and remembered why I didn't enjoy this track in the first place. Also, I want someone to explain to me what "bury the castle" is supposed to refer to. Hatchets, yes. Castles? Not so much. - Julieann

I'm not sure where I'd heard this one before either, but I knew that I liked it. Something about the ending freaked me out a little but it was decent enough. - Lanie


Track Five: Turn It Off
I'm not sure if this track is too religious or what. I get icky when God is brought into things, you know. Cranky-like.

lanie: I'm not sure it's literal more than it is just using religious imagery to discuss losing faith in someone...or something like that
julieann: that's a lot of expectation in a band who prosletyzes on stage

As someone who has seen The Almost, Paramore is almost not religious at all. I do get cranky as well when religion is brought into music because it forces people to choose sides rather than bringing them together, so I wish this track didn't involve that. It was, otherwise, a nice song about losing your faith in someone, I feel like. - Lanie


Track Six: The Only Exception
This song sounds like another song to me, but I'm not sure what. But holy shit, is Williams ever going to regret this song later in life when she grows out of being "omg in love!" with her boyfriend after two weeks of dating. - Julieann

julieann: i like this one the least so far.
julieann: i hate this chorus, omg
julieann: it's so ... lackluster?
julieann: SAD? PATHETIC?
julieann: ABOUT CHAD GILBERT AND THEREFORE GROSS?

It's so weird when young people sing about love, especially the kind of thing you could dance to at a wedding. It's so bittersweet. Of course you want other people to be happy but the other half of you is screaming "oh honey, no" because when that breakup comes, crap like this will be soooo embarrassing. No one wants to end up like Taylor Swift, singing through tears at your asshole ex in the front row of some award show. One good thing about growing up will be that she will be able to better hit a really low note that she doesn't quite get in this song, if it's not too awkward to sing later on. ...Also the chorus was really repetitive and a little annoying. So maybe it won't be so bad to leave this one in the past. - Lanie


Track Seven: Feeling Sorry
This song sounds like "For A Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic," which, boo recycling your own stuff, but yay not recycling other people's stuff? (I'm looking at you, All Time Low.) I can't understand most of what she's saying, though. But hey, her voice sounds good! It's getting better with age. Which is good. That means she's less shrill. - Julieann

Hayley uses some of her vocal power in this song, not so much of her range but that's ok. Just one is enough. The girl's got a lot of talent. If she wasn't so outstanding, though, I'm not sure there would be much to this track. - Lanie


Track Eight: Looking Up
This would've benefited from Williams not throwing in some "woah oh oh oh" bullshit. But hey. And then the song went on too long. It was just too much. I threw up my arms in defeat and asked for a beer. So sue me, I'm old. - Julieann

Oh my god. If you need to get up off your ass, listen to this song. At the time we played this, I had to be on a flight in 8 hours and still hadn't packed...and had to review the rest of this album. It made me too tense to enjoy it. It was too much! I couldn't take it! And yes, we felt so old. - Lanie


Track Nine: Where The Lines Overlap
So, there's some repeat lines I don't like. Have I mentioned I don't like repetition yet? This is a bizarre phenomenon because I listen to Taking Back Sunday fucking religiously. They're the exception to the STOP REPEATING THAT SHIT SO MUCH rule. Them and Brand New. But since Daisy sucked, Brand New don't count. I digress. The bridge of this track doesn't really sound like Williams, but fortunately, this is another track where you can hear what her voice is going to sound like when she's a bit older, and her voice is fully matured. And that voice is awesome. - Julieann

This song kind of ran into the track before it. They were similar, not in a terrible way, but in a way that makes Paramore seem like their range as a band is even smaller than it already is. I wish they'd separated these. Otherwise, I'm not sure I have many complaints. - Lanie


Track Ten: Misguided Ghosts

julieann: take your bet on whether this is a ballad or not
lanie: ugh I don't want to
lanie: I hope not
julieann: BALLAD
julieann: I WIN

So... I just... don't like this track. It's weak, and the ending is a total blower. The track ends with "they echo in circles" and then ... that's it. REALLY? YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE IT ON THAT, WILLIAMS? - Julieann

This song almost put me to sleep. - Lanie


Track Eleven: All I Wanted
I like a nice rock ballad from Paramore. Not the sappy, Plain White T's (or as a friend of mine calls them, Plain White Crap) style mopey garbage that was "The Only Exception." This song blew my face off. This song inspired me to burn a copy of this for my car, and listen to this track in my car at (the volume usually reserved for songs like "Helena" and "Everything Must Go", which is to say - really fucking loud). Hayley Williams sounds fucking incredible on this track. The solid power of her voice over the dead space going into the last chorus? Both times I've listened to this track since this first listen, it's given me chills. - Julieann

So how about I almost cried at the end of this song when it's just Hayley's voice all by itself? I definitely got chills. Even though she had already hit that high note in the song already, the silence made it feel even higher and more powerful than it had been already. This song is gorgeous. The CD should end here, leave the kids wanting more. Instead, there's Decode (which we've already reviewed), but I guess that's fair. Kids should not have to buy some awful movie soundtrack to get one of their songs. - Lanie