I'm naive about things sometimes. One of those things is that Taylor Swift is legit. I still think it's true. The country-pop megastar is now 20, but somehow still singing about fantastic romantic stories and fairy tales. Maybe she hasn't been truly jaded yet, and her cynical side will come out on some other album. But there is a tiny taste of her Alanis Morissette side on Speak Now, her latest album. And it's not bad. Swift wrote each song on the album without a co-writer. Can't hate on that.
The first track and the first single "Mine" is the epitome of Swift's style, a true country-pop mix with a cute story. There's dual harmony in all the right places, with an addictive chorus and words that flow just right. Just a bit more mature than the pretty pretty princess-y "Love Story," it's a radio-friendly best of both worlds, debuting at #3 on the Hot 100 and at #26 on the country charts.
The next track is "Sparks Fly," and is straight-up boring. The worst line: "I see sparks fly whenever you smile." Also: "I'm captivated by you baby like a fireworks show." Really, Taylor? Cmon now. From the way it's been advertised, it seems as though this will be a single, and it's a shame. There are other songs that are better and less juvenile, but I guess she's got to connect with her preteen audience somehow. Still, a dud of a second track, especially compared to "Mine."
"Back To December" is an intensely personal ballad, with a powerful triplet-laced chorus. These are lyrics that I would write but basically never share with anyone. Swift sounds great on this one too, like she really means it, especially on the line "Turns out freedom ain't nothin but missing you..." The orchestra kicks in full effect during the bridge, and it really pays off. It's a girly, sad song about regret, but I like it.
"Speak Now" is another teenage fantasy, of running in during a wedding in-progress and declaring love for the groom. There's a catchy hook in the steady shuffle beat, and the lyrics serve their purpose, but nothing too special about this one. Swift tries to fit a few too many words into the bars, with no real rhyming scheme. It's just kinda random.
"Dear John" is where it gets really good. It sounds like a bonus, blues-tinted track off of John Mayer's Continuum-- maybe cause this song is about his general shadiness. This ballad is swept with an air of maturity that showcases Swift's growing talent. The harmony on the chorus is perfect, and the wailing electric guitars and high organs complement the melancholy lyrics. "Don't you think 19 is too young to be played be your dark twisted games when I loved you so?" There is another line about fireworks in this track. Didn't we just hear that in another song? Well, in any case, this 7-minute song really is impressive, and I'm a fan.
The next track is "Mean," by far the most country song on the album. Swift's twang magically comes out of nowhere, and so does the banjo and fiddle. This song is great for what it is; simplistic, catchy, and cute. The chorus won't get out of your head. "Someday I'll be livin in a big old city, and all you're ever gonna be is mean." Basically a bullying song. Looks like this will also be a single, and will be big on the country airwaves. Yee-haw!
"The Story of Us" is about the Jonas bro that ditched her, and it actually sounds kinda Disney, kinda Miley Cyrus-y. It's got synths and lots of electric feel to it, and I like the fast pace. The chorus gets more addictive as the song goes on. I feel like this one will grow on me. "I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how/I've never heard silence quite this loud."
"Never Grow Up" is a sleepy, acoustic, country ballad that is a nice contrast to the last song. It's practical, simple and beautiful, advice to someone younger, but unfortunately the advice is that there is nothing good about getting older. It's a little negative for Swift. But still a nice song.
Next up is "Enchanted," which immediately makes me think of Swift's fairytale songs. It kind of is another song about meeting some dude outside at night, at her door, or something like that. Don't get me wrong, the orchestra and guitars on the bridge are great, but it's all just a bit repetitive of the previous songs both on Speak Now and Fearless. The highlight is the outro, with the Owl City-y(?) computerized voice saying "Please don't be in love with someone else/Please don't have somebody waiting on you."
"Better Than Revenge" is where her inner Alanis comes out in full force. It's about some chick that stole some guy from her. And she's mad. "She's an actress/But she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress." I like this song, although sometimes Swift gets dangerously close to sounding like Avril Lavigne, who is generally awful. But I dig the little angst. Everyone's felt like this at one point.
The ode to Kanye, "Innocent," is a pretty good ballad, and is placed well on the album. It's basically someone 12 years younger than him forgiving him for being an egocentric crazy. There is nothing country about this song. Actually, there's nothing really special about this one, as we've already heard a few similar ballads before. But it's another step in Swift trying to showcase her maturity in songwriting.
"Haunted" starts out very dramatic, with everything from violins to bells and guitars, sounding like a Metallica intro at times. The lyrics are brutally honest on this one, and there is something very Evanescence about the whole thing. Again, nothing country at all, but Swift sounds great on it. She's in the denial stage: "I know you're not gone, you can't be gone." I really love this track.
Another longer song, the six-minute "Last Kiss" is another "I remember blah blah" song. The lyrics are again pretty personal: "How you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something/There's not a day that I don't miss those rude interruptions." Aww. Cmon. Okay okay, so it's beyond sappy but you gotta love it. This song is kinda rough; a slow, swaying dedication to someone who is gone. Definitely not something you would have heard on her previous albums.
The final track "Long Live" is inconclusive and a little unimaginative. Nothing new here. "I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you." I was a little disappointed by this, as I expected a more epic ending. One track too many, sorry bout it.
I like this new direction that Swift is going. Experimenting with some new sounds and genres, and putting her entire personal life out for everyone to purchase in musical form. The lyrics are generally deeper, and so is the instrumentation. The one thing that is too noticeable is the repetitiveness of the structure and lyrics. But besides that, definitely a great album, with poor choices for singles in my opinion. I don't think it's too much of a departure from Fearless, but just enough of one to create something different. So, maybe I'm not naive after all. Maybe Taylor is, in fact, legit. I still think she should keep weeding out those over-the-top Romeo and Juliet type songs, slowly but surely, because her audience won't buy it for much longer. But it's all pretty harmless.
Posts
