• Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Apr 9, 2013
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 498 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 28 out of 498
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  1. Apr 22, 2013
    2
    How on earth did this sub par album get such critical acclaim? It's very, very mediocre. As I believe, this album has disappointed quite a few Paramore fans and I'm always wary when critics and fans think very differently. Listen to Last Hope, Proof, Hate To See Your Heart Break and Future for the best of it, but the rest is middle of road mid tempo rock.
  2. Apr 30, 2013
    1
    I've struggled to listen and get into this album. It feels like the band moved backward into the arms of less mature fans. The lyrics strongly resemble an angry and bitter trio. If all the songs are about how you were burned by the previous members, then maybe you haven't exactly moved on. The lyrics are also poor quality, which makes me feel bad because Hayley Williams is soI've struggled to listen and get into this album. It feels like the band moved backward into the arms of less mature fans. The lyrics strongly resemble an angry and bitter trio. If all the songs are about how you were burned by the previous members, then maybe you haven't exactly moved on. The lyrics are also poor quality, which makes me feel bad because Hayley Williams is so likeable. Your band should grow, your lyrics should get better, and your music. A better move would have not written an entire album around a feud. and gotten creative. This is by far the worst Paramore album yet. Which makes me worry for their future. There are moments when I'm not sure if I accidentally bought a Taylor swift album. Hayley Williams said she didn't want brand new eyes pt. 2 but honestly. That would have been better. They were trying way too hard and it shows. I was really hoping they would really prove themselves..and I guess they did but not how I was hoping, Expand
  3. May 19, 2013
    2
    I made an account here just to do a review for this album since the vast majority of reviews seem to be little more than "This is Paramore's best album ever and if you don't like it then you're just a closed-minded hater". This is easily Paramore's worst album to date. Not only have they gone so far away from their true sound that they're barely recognizable but the entire album just seemsI made an account here just to do a review for this album since the vast majority of reviews seem to be little more than "This is Paramore's best album ever and if you don't like it then you're just a closed-minded hater". This is easily Paramore's worst album to date. Not only have they gone so far away from their true sound that they're barely recognizable but the entire album just seems to forced and fake that it's not even funny. Every song sounds like the record producers put a gun to their heads and forced them to make crappy mainstream pop songs. There isn't one song on there that I couldn't imagine a pop star from today also doing. This is not evolution, this is not change for the better, this is not maturing, this just sucks and as a long time fan it hurts to have to say these things. How anybody can give this more than maybe a 5 (And I'm being generous with that one) I don't know. It's better to save your money and listen to it on youtube or just go out and buy another copy of Riot instead. I hope to God that this isn't what their new sound is gonna be. 2/10 Expand
  4. May 20, 2013
    3
    Over compensation looks to be what went wrong with Paramore's eponymous album. It really seems like Hayley tried way too hard to prove she can be creative without Zac and Josh and it all just came out as sounding like an explosion of overproduced pop and faux-folk/indie. In fact, the Taylor Swift-esque 'diss' lyrics of the majority of songs is a major turn off and the opposite of theOver compensation looks to be what went wrong with Paramore's eponymous album. It really seems like Hayley tried way too hard to prove she can be creative without Zac and Josh and it all just came out as sounding like an explosion of overproduced pop and faux-folk/indie. In fact, the Taylor Swift-esque 'diss' lyrics of the majority of songs is a major turn off and the opposite of the supposed 'moving on' message of the album. I can applaud the thought, but not the execution. That said, there is no semblance of maturity or evolution here. Brand New Eyes was more like what a 'mature' and 'evolved' Paramore should sound like. Like one critic here said, evolution should never come at the expense of identity. The only songs I found to be worth anything were Now, Part II, Anklebiters and, as a guilty pleasure, Fast In My Car. For anyone looking for Paramore's old sound, look into the bonus songs Native Tongue and Escape Route that were only released in Japan. Expand
  5. Apr 10, 2013
    3
    Many things i could say about this album, paramore isn't the band we used to know anymore. Now, Part II, and maybe one or two tracks more are worth it, the rest is another thing, another genre, a reincarnation of MJ sometimes.. Riot was a 9, brand new eyes was a 6, Paramore definitely is worst than that...
  6. Apr 10, 2013
    2
    There are two types of Paramore fans. There's the ones who took a liking to the band's unique sound I have dubbed "playful aggression." Then there's the fans who are generally oblivious to the music they're listening to, and will religiously listen to anything mainstream media classifies as hip or edgy. In this album it is blatantly apparent that Hayley Williams was NOT the drivingThere are two types of Paramore fans. There's the ones who took a liking to the band's unique sound I have dubbed "playful aggression." Then there's the fans who are generally oblivious to the music they're listening to, and will religiously listen to anything mainstream media classifies as hip or edgy. In this album it is blatantly apparent that Hayley Williams was NOT the driving force behind Paramore. It was clearly the Farro brothers all along, Josh's song writing and Zac's unbelievably creative drumming.

    That being said, if you liked Paramore for their old sound, this album is going to disappoint you like nothing you've ever heard before. They can call this a "step in a new direction" or an "evolution" all you want, but the lyrics take plenty of stabs at the Farro brothers if you listen carefully. You call that a new direction? I call that childish, dwelling on the past and completely unnecessary.

    I'm really not sure what album the critics are listening to. I'm willing to bet all of them had their review written based on "Now" and didn't take the time to listen to the entire album. This might go down as one of the most disappointing album releases in this era of music, considering how high they set the bar with Riot. Brand New Eyes was a good follow-up, but this? The only time I will ever listen to this album again is to let others hear how hard a good band can fold when you lose a guitarist and a drummer that were clearly the driving force behind the band.
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  7. Apr 9, 2013
    3
    It's a shame when bands move too far from their original sound and genre. Afterall, it is the reason that we listened to them in the first place. There are a couple of good songs on this album, "Part II", "Ain't it Fun" (only new sound that I liked) and "Still in to you"(hate it's intro though).

    The rest however, are a huge let down. I was hoping for the usual racy, fun and energetic
    It's a shame when bands move too far from their original sound and genre. Afterall, it is the reason that we listened to them in the first place. There are a couple of good songs on this album, "Part II", "Ain't it Fun" (only new sound that I liked) and "Still in to you"(hate it's intro though).

    The rest however, are a huge let down. I was hoping for the usual racy, fun and energetic punk pop/rock that Paramore are famous for but we unfortunately got simplistic riffs, electronica fillers, pointless lyrics..

    I was hoping for some growth and maturity from this band seeing it is their 4th album. Instead it appears we are treated to yet another band who has sold out on it's fans to make themselves more mainstream and appeal to a wider audience.
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  8. Jul 19, 2013
    2
    Experimentation gone wrong, or a loss of talent? To tell the truth. I have no idea which one it could be. But what I do know is that this is easily Paramore's worst album to date. I do agree though with TheeGoth's review where they say that the album sounds like like they tried too hard to prove that they can be creative without the Farro bros and it just all came out sounding terrible. InExperimentation gone wrong, or a loss of talent? To tell the truth. I have no idea which one it could be. But what I do know is that this is easily Paramore's worst album to date. I do agree though with TheeGoth's review where they say that the album sounds like like they tried too hard to prove that they can be creative without the Farro bros and it just all came out sounding terrible. In fact, Now is the only decent song on there imho. This the only one of Paramore's albums where the critics seem to hold it in high regard (Fore some reason I don't understand) but is being panned by almost all of their fans as the worst. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind when a band changes their sound up a bit, but I do mind when a band all but abandons their sound. Paramore have forged their identity with their power-pop-punk style, so of course they would face a backlash from their most hardcore fans. All I can say is that fans make the band, not the other way around. Paramore would do well to listen to the backlash before it's too late, because really, it's sad when a band with so much talent squander it just making radio friendly music because they have no idea what else to do. Expand
  9. Sep 21, 2015
    0
    album lixo!?!?!?!!!!?!?! não sei como suportam, paramore tapete da avril lavigne !??!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!!!!?!?!?!??!?!??!!??!?!??!?!??!?!??!?!?
  10. Apr 11, 2013
    1
    VinceOnAPlane summed this album up PERFECTLY. Read his review. I joined this site for the sole purpose of publicly agreeing with him.

    No idea what critics are listening to when they review this album, because it stinks beyond belief. I am beyond disappointed with this cd. They should have changed the name of the band because this isn't paramore. If James and Lars left Metallica
    VinceOnAPlane summed this album up PERFECTLY. Read his review. I joined this site for the sole purpose of publicly agreeing with him.

    No idea what critics are listening to when they review this album, because it stinks beyond belief. I am beyond disappointed with this cd.

    They should have changed the name of the band because this isn't paramore. If James and Lars left Metallica and Kirk and Rob started to add dubstep and keep the name Metallica..... this is what paramore's album is equivalent to.

    Garbage.
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  11. Jan 27, 2016
    0
    I know people have been waiting a long time for this album I certainly wasn't one of them and this didn't surprise me how awful it was, I was informed they were a rock band all I heard was pure pop drizzle.
  12. Apr 22, 2016
    0
    Another pop-punk band? This stuff has been done to death. Popular music is becoming formulaic these days. Play some power chords over and over, keep a linear drum beat, add an okay singer, write emotional lyrics that pretend to be "deep" but aren't, and you're famous.
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. Classic Rock Magazine
    Jun 21, 2013
    30
    A parade of beige pop numbers that even Taylor Swift would turn down for being too generic. [May 2013, p.86]
  2. May 3, 2013
    80
    Paramore is both the band’s most polished and messiest album, which somehow pays off.
  3. Kerrang!
    Apr 30, 2013
    80
    It's daring and rarely less than dazzling. [6 Apr 2013, p.52]