Review: Paramore - Riot!
Posted on 2 August 2007 | 6 Comments
Filed Under: Album Reviews, Pop, Punk
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Another of the bands we saw at Warped Tour and were pleasantly surprised by was Paramore. This Tennessee quartet is fronted by the young and incredibly talented Hayley Williams. Despite much of the media’s focus on the talented 18 year old and her ever-changing hair color, Paramore is a band and not just her backing band.
The first I heard of Paramore was their 2005 single “Pressure,” which was a catchy song that intrigued me enough to find out that the band’s singer shared the same name as my daughter (albeit spelled differently), but nothing more beyond that. Fast forward to the Warped Tour this past weekend where my wife and I were blown away by Paramore’s performance. Let me explain.
On their latest album Riot!, Paramore sounds a bit like a female fronted Fall Out Boy or Panic! At The Disco (not surprising considering their affiliation with Fueled By Ramen) or perhaps a Kelly Clarkson-type that the hardcore kids can get into. Live (however) Paramore’s sound is a bit more hardcore and a bit less pop. That doesn’t mean that I write off Riot! though. It is a solid album that far exceeds what both FOB and P!ATD have been doing recently (perhaps ever).
The album is full of some of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in awhile with big hardcore-style breakdowns, speedy punk, and even a few quieter moments. There is the pitter patter of drum machines in all the right places. The melodic guitar leads work perfectly alongside Hayley’s soaring vocals. I know I’ve talked a lot about Hayley Williams but even though Paramore is a band, just like just ex-No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, much of the focus is squarely on Hayley.
In a fight between Avril and Hayley, I’d take the Paramore singer in a heartbeat. With songs like “That’s What You Get,” “Hallelujah,” “Misery Business,” and “CrushCrushCrush,” Riot! is great (and for me unexpected) find. With any luck at all, this band and this album will be huge in a matter of months. Riot! is out now on Fueled By Ramen.
MP3 | Paramore – That’s What You Get Riot!
MP3 | Paramore – Misery Business Riot!
Comments
But yeah, I've listened to the record twice today and had a song stuck in my head before I even ran across your post.
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