Paramore - Riot: It's amazing what turns out not to suck after all

So this is out of left field, but I decided to write a review for Paramore's 2007 album, Riot. I originally wanted to do an album review of Cheeseburger's self titled album, but this caught me completely off guard. Now, I have heard of Paramore before, with their rise in popularity and the fact that Hayley Williams is kinda cute without the excessive make up (I AM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT THIS) but what ultimately kept me away from this band previously was how they were of the pop rock genre like their deranged cousin Green Day. And allow me to clarify this with you, the way I feel about Green Day is the way I feel about walking into a house condemned because of asbestos. I just don't want to have any part of that rotting piece of shit.

But since I had access to a foreign music on my sister's iPod and had to sit through a car trip, I decided to give them a shot. And I'll tell you now, I actually rather like this album. Williams comes off decent with vocals, I don't really hear anything to unique with the sound but I'm not repulsed nor am I thinking "Oh, this sounds like Avril/ Kelly Clarkson/ etc.). But interestingly enough, it felt like I was listening to the opposite of Lady GaGa. I'm just going on gut feelings with this one, further listening may be required to prove or disprove this theory.

The album starts strong with two songs that I'm relatively certain I have heard several times on the radio ("For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic"/"That's What You Get (When You Let Your Heart Win)") followed up by "Hallelujah" to fill space. Not really wow'd by that track, it's a three star song. Then we have "Misery Business" and that takes us out of 3 and brings things to around a 3.5. Around this time, I started to get that familiar vibe I get from most pop rock songs and albums. The excess in rage and bitterness about mishaps in relationships, lines like "you were the only one for me" then followed by some curd about how it was all thrown away or went to waste, all with the fast pace rock music in the background. Despite this, I continued to listen.

We have a couple of OK songs till we get to "Let the Flames Begin". When I first heard this track, all this talk about burning down houses reminded me of the Used and Yellowcard. I was pleased by how they threw that in, although it reeked of teenage rebellion and escaping. That reeking reminded me of Green Day. After that, we have a series of OK and so so songs till "Fences", which I rather enjoyed. It focuses on how the successful celebrities are destroyed by their own success and all that crap that comes with it (thanks Hollywood). After that, we have the last track and the album is done.

Riot received some really mixed reviews, some people like Gareth Dobson from Drowned in Sound said:

"At 38 minutes long, it's mercifully brief, but still manages to feel like a double album for those who endure it. That is, those who don't manage to forget that it's on the stereo at all. People, get your pop-punk thrills somewhere else. At least somewhere where there are actual thrills to be had."

I can't say I disagree fully with this. The topics of these songs, the crappy boyfriends, the wanting for love, the overall sense of angst and rebellion, all that has been done already by Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch. We could use a hell of a lot less of that. But despite people like Dobson, we have Stylus Magazine giving the album a B+ (which I assume is close to a 4 out of 5) for it's focus on the sound.

4 songs on this album have already become singles, the album has gone double platinum, it's no surprise that Paramore is huge. I am tempted to listen to their other albums, but I'm terrified I'm going to find shit. This is still the pop rock genre and thus, I am walking in a mine field. It is a very strong chance that I can listen to their newer stuff and find myself completely repulsed at how they progressed as a band over the past three years since they released this. But after glancing over the positive scores for the album, perhaps it won't kill me. I like this album, not an all-time favorite perhaps only a I like this for the first few weeks favorite. If you don't feel ashamed listening to what the masses do or what they play on the radio, then it can't kill you. After all, I'm still here.

Although Green Day still sucks and they can all die in a ditch somewhere.

Review from Drowned in Sound:
http://drownedinsound.com/releases/10271/reviews/2133465-?search

Review from Stylus Magazine:
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/paramore/riot.htm