ALEX HOBEN
editor-in-chief
alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu

Paramore is back after six years with an album, “This Is Why” that strikes every single chord of pained nostalgia from the past world events.

The album, released on Feb. 10, is a mix of painful ballads and quirky indie melodies that rounds out to a beautiful yet heartbreaking album. It has 10 songs on it and is in total about 36 minutes long. This is Paramore’s sixth album after a five year hiatus, and it is a very stately comeback.

The songs for the most part are pretty good, if a little safe in their formula. Paramore has always been known as a pioneer in the indie music scene, and this album feels like a reflection of the scene right now. The songs are just weird enough in the melodies and composition that they leave listeners intrigued but not a true pushing of the envelope.

The messages are obvious but no less impactful in their delivery. Some of the best songs on it are its namesake “This Is Why”, “C’est Comme Ça” and “You First”. These have the highest energy, and the smoothest combination of changing melodies and guitar riffs. 

The album has the overall feel of the way the pandemic and other world events affected the populations, and now how we are dealing with the aftermath. “The News” is just a straight-up reference to the war in Ukraine and how, due to social media and the internet, the saturation of media has made it possible to keep up with everything. Especially with such a hard hitting topic like war.

Listening to this album for the first time was like being transported to the mindset I had during the beginning of the pandemic. The further along the album went with its waning and more melancholy songs, the more I could relate it to my own experiences and hardships that the lockdown brought.

The chorus of “This Is Why” explains how I felt about leaving the house, “Running Out of Time” illustrates how my time perception has been incredibly warped and “Thick Skull” invokes a sympathetic pain when you think you can trust someone only to be betrayed.

The main weird thing about this album is the timing of its release. While I love the songs and the meaning behind them I think it would’ve been much more powerful if it was released closer to or even during the pandemic and lockdowns.

Since this was released at such an awkward time of the year, and many main topics in the songs have lost their sheen in the media scope, the album invokes a feeling of distant nostalgia rather than a hard hitting album addressing today’s issues.

“This Is Why” is a wonderfully heartbreaking journey that will bring you back to the lockdown mindset if you pay attention to the lyrics. The melodies are smooth and consistent throughout the whole set and make for an enjoyable listen. If you have enjoyed Paramore’s work in the past, go ahead and give this a listen.