It’s the album that people have been waiting on for what seems like forever. Finally Paramore are back with their 5th studio album, After Laughter & it hasn’t disappointed us at all.
After Laughter is full of electro rocky summer vibes and instantly transports you to a beach somewhere with a cocktail in hand. It’s infectiously fun. Think Chvrches, Fickle Friends and all those 80s electro classics.
Lead single Hard Times is one of those songs that’ll stick in your head. A catchy chorus and beat and you’re hooked it. It’s something Paramore have really mastered on the album. Caught In The Middle and Pool are just two perfect examples of this, but the choice is really endless.
One thing Paramore fans old and new have always loved is those lyrics that cut deep and you can sing at the top of your lungs. Fake Happy does this x 1000 and has a real throwback feel to those early Paramore songs we all loved back in our early 2000s emo phase, that we all never left if we’re honest. It’s a song that is already clearly standing out as a favourite to many and it’s easy to see why.
Full of sass and feel good vibes, After Laughter really does the job. It’s that Paramore album we all knew we were waiting for without really knowing what we wanted.
As a side note, let’s clear up the “oh but it doesn’t sound like Paramore” line. What it doesn’t sound like is Riot and given the 10 year gap in release dates what else is to be expected? Bands evolve and develop over time & just as tracks such as Ain’t It Fun and Still Into You were a progression, After Laughter is a continuation of that; with a little less heavy guitar maybe.
Some will love it, some won’t and for some it’ll be a grower. We’re having a wonderful time listening to it anyway.