Paramore – This Is Why

While Paramore started in the emo boom of the early aughts, they’ve since evolved, through line-up changes and other drama, into something much bigger, something much more mature. Frontwoman Hayley Williams has gone from pop-punk princess to respected alt-rock queen, and now the group delivers the accomplished and diverse This Is Why.

The first half of Why sees the band in more of a pressing punk mode, Williams delivering kiss-offs to the modern world in pieces such as the opening title track and following “The News”, plus the killer press of “You First” (“Turns out I’m living in a horror film / Where I’m both the killer and the final girl” is an absolutely great Williams line). Admittedly, this excellence does overshadow a bit the sadder, sweeter numbers located mostly on the backside of This, but slow emotional songs like final two “Crave” and “Thick Skull” showcase the band’s range.

Aughts emo revival/nostalgia is all the rage these days, like eighties/nineties alt-reunions were back in the aughts, but the question inevitably comes as to whether it’s just reminding you of your younger days or trying to be something more in the present day. With This Is Why, Paramore are staking their claim to not just yesterday, but today & beyond.