Tours Through Discographies: Paramore

   Of all the pop-punk emo bands that dominated in the early-mid-2000's, Paramore is one of the few that are still going strong today.

  They're still here 20 years later, and it's crazy to think that Hayley Williams started Paramore when she was like 15. I decided to induct them into my top ten a few years ago, as Panic! At The Disco's replacement when they broke up (the ten is only for active bands), and the choice was even more solidified when I got tickets to see them live with my best friend last year. That was a great show. 

1. All We Know Is Falling (2005)

    This is easily the one I know the least about, so I can't talk too much about it. I only know a few songs from it, and I like those. But from what I've heard about it from other people, it's not a particularly great album, but it's solid enough. It's very evident that a group of teenagers trying to find their footing are the people behind it, but it at the same time shows that those teenagers are very talented and have a lot of potential. 

Favorite tracks: "Pressure", "Emergency", "All We Know"

2. Riot! (2007)

    Every big band has their breakout album, and this was definitely Paramore's. This album is an energetic jam start to finish, and was really one of the albums that defined the scene in the late 2000's and into the 2010's. This one is honestly probably my favorite by them. There's a lot of teen angst and themes about growing up and stuff here, and that's exactly what the members were going at the time. The potential they showed with All We Know Is Falling was really at full force here.

Favorite tracks: "That's What You Get", "We Are Broken", "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic"

3. Brand New Eyes (2009)

   From what I know of the development of this album, this came from a rather tumultuous period in the band's history, with some inner turmoil happening in the band. Despite that, it's really good. This is the only other album from them besides All We Know Is Falling that I don't know every track on, but I know a lot of them. And honestly, it's some of Paramore's best work. There's some real bangers here. And the song "Ignorance" has the lyric "ignorance is your new best friend", which is in part how I got my band's name! 

Favorite tracks: "Ignorance", "Brick by Boring Brick", "Playing God"

4. Paramore (2013)

   No, I didn't just accidentally write the band's name. This is the self-titled album. This was the new one when I first got into them. This album feels as career-defining for Paramore as Save Rock And Roll was for Fall Out Boy, and both albums came out the same year. It features them leaning a little more towards alternative rock than pop-punk, but it's a very welcome sound. This is essentially what welcomed them into being more mainstream artists than the strictly scene legends they were. For a long time, this one was my favorite, and I still rank it pretty highly.

Favorite tracks: "Grow Up", "Daydreaming", "Last Hope"

5. After Laughter (2017)

   Ah yes, the experimental album. Every band should have one, and this is definitely Paramore's. They really went for a new wave/synth-y kinda sound with this one, and I think it worked very well, even though it is kind of divisive for someone. It's a very bouncy sound, but it's sort of a concept album with the idea that behind all the bounciness there's actually a lot of sadness and fake happiness. It's a pretty deep exploration on faking that you're doing fine so people don't have to worry about you, and how fleeting happiness can feel. And I'm sorry, but Hayley Williams, especially in this era, is one of the most attractive human beings ever. This album has two of my favorite Paramore songs ever.

Favorite tracks: "Fake Happy", "Rose-Colored Boy", "Hard Times"

6. This Is Why (2023)

    This was the album they were on tour for when I saw them. After a six-year gap between albums and Hayley making two solo albums in the meantime, they came back strong. I'd say the sound is kind of a return to form, kind of mixing Brand New Eyes and the self-titled as well of introducing some new style. While I love After Laughter, I love what they did here too. There's really only one song I'd call a weak point here, but I'm not even going to specify it because I still like it and don't wanna single it out negatively. It's fueled by the stress from quarantine and crazy political stuff, and they channel that into some really awesome stuff.

Favorite tracks: "The News", "Running Out of Time", "This is Why"