Like a lot of people, I’m feeling down at the prospect of yet another variant-fuelled COVID surge. There is little I can do about this, but at least there is still good music to be had. This next record figures to be a strong contender for my “Best of 2021” list, although that is still being finalized, so for now just consider it nominated.
Disc 1525 is…. Evermore
Artist: Taylor Swift
Year of Release: 2021
What’s up with the Cover? The photographer for this cover was sacked, but as he was led outside the studio by security was heard to declaim loudly, “you said you wanted an outdoor head and shoulders shot. You didn’t say anything about her face!”
How I Came To Know It: I liked Swift’s previous record, “Folklore” quite a bit, and so gave this one a listen when it came out.
How It Stacks Up: I only have two Taylor Swift records (although I’m probably going to buy the re-release of “Red” soon). Of the two I have, “Evermore” comes in a close second to “Folklore”.
Ratings: 4 stars
For years two friends have been telling me about Taylor Swift’s talent. One is a trained pianist, and the other is my old guitar teacher. Despite this expert testimony, I resisted. Swift’s music was just a bit too pop-heavy. However, on her last two records she’s met me halfway. “Evermore” is the second of these, a record that is still very much Taylor Swift pop, but with enough flavour from indie and folk music to meet me halfway. The result is exquisite.
As a songwriter, Swift is a once-in-a-generation talent. She reminds of Tom Petty, who like Swift has a seemingly endless reservoir of melodies that are catchy and feel like they’ve existed forever.
This has been true for some time, but “Evermore” scales back all those pop music tricks of the trade. The electronic beats, voice modulations and sugary joy still make occasional appearances (“Gold Rush” comes to mind) but most songs are heavily toned down in favour of arrangements that are more indie-flavoured. This makes everything feel a bit more emotionally grounded and lets the bones of the songs shine through.
Within this newfound space, another long-standing Swift talent is revealed. She is a singular storyteller, who for years has been able to mesh the power of a pop song’s turn of phrase within a broader narrative that makes characters come to life. With all the sparseness in the sound, you can settle in and let her tell story after story.
Swift’s previous record, “Folklore,” has some 5-star examples of storytelling (“Betty” comes to mind, but I’ll talk about that when I roll it). However, “Evermore” shows Swift’s well of creativity is still deep and full of great songs.
One of the best examples is “No Body, No Crime.” It is a classic murder ballad, or rather two murder ballads in one: man kills girlfriend, and then girlfriend’s best friend kills man in return. Nothing can be proved, but justice is done. A song best paired with the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earle,” while enjoying a glass of wine and a satisfied smile.
On “Happiness” Swift shifts the storytelling to internal angst, as a woman wrestles with the conflict of how to react “when a good man hurts you/and you know you hurt him too.” From an artist who made an early reputation with cutting songs about her exes, here we see a more nuanced Taylor Swift, recognizing grief can be a positive and transformative power if you give it time (or as she sings it “I haven’t met the new me yet”).
Later, on “Right Where You Left Me” you see the results of a character who cannot move on from loss, forever caught in a rut of grief, reliving the last moments of a relationship. The two songs are bookends to the same story, and together show Swift’s talent for seeing all facets of a theme, and then converting them into works of art.
On “Marjorie” Swift pays tribute to her dead grandmother, and is another of the album’s best songs, both lyrically and musically. The percussion gives the song an inspirational driving energy, over top of which Swift layers vignettes of the wisdom and inspiration she received from the titular character. It is not a song of grieving so much as a celebration and it had me thinking of all the people that are gone now but gave me a bit of their wisdom before they departed.
Despite all this high praise, I have two minor complaints about “Evermore”. The first is a long-standing bête noire of mine; the record has too many songs. Swift is so prolific that she routinely exceeds my recommended 14 song maximum. It wouldn’t be easy to cull this 17 song collection by three tunes, but I think I could do it, and wish Swift had done so as well. Also labelling the last two songs “bonus tracks” does not address this. Pick three and save ‘em for the next record.
The other is that the album title and tracks are both not capitalized. I realize this is deliberate and has been going on since E.E. Cummings decided to make this a thing. I like E.E. Cummings’ poetry quite a bit, but I’ve never felt his refusal to capitalize words added anything to his work. The same goes for Swift - great songs, but please use capitalization correctly.
Like I said, minor issues. Overall, this record and its predecessor “Folklore” are brilliant albums that you should pay a listen to. As for me, I’m going to buy “Red” as soon as I get the chance. Sure it is a bit too sugary for my tastes, but I have a feeling the bones of those songs are going to shine through as well, now that I know what to look for.
Best tracks: Champagne Problems, ‘Tis the Damned Season, No Body No Crime, Happiness, Dorothea, Coney Island, Marjorie, Right Where You Left Me
No comments:
Post a Comment