Song of the Week: Paramore Gives Us a Reason to Leave the House with “This Is Why”
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The post Song of the Week: Paramore Gives Us a Reason to Leave the House with “This Is Why” appeared first on Consequence.
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Paramore make a huge return with “This Is Why.”
It’s been 20 years since Hayley Williams moved from Mississippi to Tennessee, met the Farro brothers, and began the story of Paramore, one of the most exciting bands of the new millennium. Paramore has outlived most of their contemporaries, not just by continuing to exist as an entity, but also in terms of their enduring cultural relevance. While many bands of the Warped Tour Era flamed out or carried on by catering to nostalgia, Paramore have managed to remain vibrant and forward-looking as they weathered lineup changes and expanded the aperture of their sound to include synth-pop and new wave.
But while you can hear their influence today everywhere — the ascendance of Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, MUNA, Pom Pom Squad, WILLOW, Beach Bunny, Meet Me @ the Altar, and so many other amazing acts feel spiritually tethered to Paramore — Paramore fans have needed to wait five years for a follow-up to 2017’s After Laughter.
That patience was rewarded earlier this week with “This Is Why,” an absolute heater of a lead single that previews an album of the same name set to drop in February 2023 following a comeback tour starting next week. The track finds Zac Farro and Taylor York laying down a slick groove over new touring guitarist Brian Robert Jones’ irrepressibly funky bassline. “If you have an opinion/ Maybe you should shove it,” Williams sings without a trace of a wink or a nod.
As someone who’s spent more years of her life in the spotlight than out of it, “This Is Why” explores Williams’ complicated feelings about fame and vulnerability, which were only exacerbated by years of lockdown brought upon by a global pandemic. So when Williams delivers the song’s hook — “this is why I don’t leave the house” — with power and panache, it lands as a gut punch for anyone who’s wrestled with how to act in a post-neverending pandemic “new normal” that is anything but normal.
As the song beckons you “one step beyond your door,” the paranoia fully sets in. You may not want to leave your house, but at least you’ll have a new soundtrack for when you’re dancing alone in the relative safety of your bedroom.
— Spencer Dukoff
Honorable Mentions:
We Are Scientists – “Operator Error”
“If you can’t keep a secret, just keep quiet,” We Are Scientists guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray (slash all of us) laments on the new single “Operator Error,” the band’s first release since last year’s HUFFY!. The track epitomizes everything you know and love about the indie band, accompanied with a soaring verse and thudding beat. It begins as a synth-heavy track before launching into the distorted guitars during the chorus, and is more dance-punk and ‘80s influenced than straight-up indie rock. It’s catchy and fun and thus classic We Are Scientists. — Cady Siregar
Hotel Fiction – “Man on the Moon”
Dreamy and atmospheric as the title suggests, the latest from indie duo Hotel Fiction is a nostalgic dance through the stars. “Man on the Moon” arrives ahead of their aptly-named EP, Enjoy Your Stay, and offers a peek into the world these two are designing with each new track. While “Man on the Moon” in particular has a sonic landscape it’s far too easy to get lost in, the story being told in the song is one of a slow drift apart and the kind of loneliness only a sea of stars can provide. It’s an homage to Bowie with the gentlest key change to take the listener into the night. — Mary Siroky
LØLØ – “boohoo”
Rising pop-punk artist LØLØ has unveiled “boohoo,” the focus track of her new EP, debbie downer (also available Friday, September 30th). There are so many ways to approach the difficult feelings that can accompany growing up, and LØLØ took the approach of catharsis. The song is a slow build, vaguely reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s anthemic “Happier Than Ever.” By the time it reaches its conclusion, LØLØ seems to have shed some of the heaviness on her shoulders, inviting the listener to do the same. — M. Siroky
Sarah Cothran – “I’m Here”
After TikTok picked up Sarah Cothran’s “As the World Caves In” and sprinted with it, the Nashville singer-songwriter has been keeping the momentum going with the release of her new EP, i hope you’re happy. The title comes from a line that appears in “I’m Here,” a slight new single that falls under three minutes. The track unspools like a diary entry dedicated to the person that was an “almost” in her life; the knowledge that life could have been different can be haunting, and Cothran tries to close the chapter on her own terms with this poignant brush of her pen. — M. Siroky
Pearla – “About Hunger, About Love”
Sometimes a song is so enjoyable upon first listen that you feel as if you’ve always been familiar with it. Pearla’s “About Hunger, About Love,” the third single from her upcoming Oh Glistening Onion, The Nighttime Is Coming, exhibits such a quality — and I’m still not convinced I haven’t heard it before in some distant, subconscious dream.
The track has an easygoing, strolling pace, slowly building over the course of its three minutes to a wonderful crescendo. All the while, the inviting lead vocals gently rise above the swirling folk instrumental, climaxing in a harmonized refrain: “I’ve got a new kind of lonesome.” It’s an expertly crafted tune that only raises the bar that much higher for Pearla’s debut record. — Jonah Krueger
bigfatbig – “Brink of My Sanity”
Equal parts catchy and exciting, bigfatbig once again deliver an enthralling piece of power-pop with “Brink of My Sanity.” What begins as a swirling, melodic waltz eventually explodes into an upbeat, surprisingly comforting anthem. Over energetic drums, driving bass, and pop-punk-inspired guitars, vocalist Robyn Walker offers a message of perseverance. “Put one foot in front of the next,” she urges as the song comes to a close — and with how fun “Brink of My Sanity” is, it might just be the perfect soundtrack for doing exactly that. — J.K.
City of Caterpillar – “Ascension Theft… (Gnawing of the Bottom-Feeders)”
With the release of Mystic Sisters, City of Caterpillar have made their grand return after two decades of silence. But could the seminal underground post-hardcore act actually make a successful comeback after such a long break, especially in a genre often derived from youthful energy? With tracks like “Ascension Theft… (Gnawing of the Bottom-Feeders)” as proof, the answer is an emphatic, melodically screamed “yes.”
The eight-minute track closes the album and dips further into the depths of post-rock than the band ever has before. There’s a moody, extended intro, a booming bass line that leads the band, and noisy crescendos that sound like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Orchid joined forces. It’s a City of Caterpillar at their best: dynamic, epic, and cathartic. It makes a damn good case that Mystic Sisters is every bit as good as the band’s previous material. — J.K.
Dazy – “Split”
It doesn’t take long to arrive at the heart of Dazy’s quick songs, with each blissful explosion crashing into the next one… and then before you know it, the song’s over, and you’re on to the next one. This is the case for Dazy’s new single, “Split,” the latest slice of James Goodson’s power pop project and the second official single from his upcoming debut LP, OUTOFBODY (due October 28th). But luckily, he provides plenty to savor throughout the track: tight harmonies, sun-drenched guitars, and a type of ’90s rock spirit that feels refreshing and signature for Dazy. “Split” may clock in at 1:47, but it’s an animated, enthusiastic gem that is sure to leave a pleasant impression. — Paolo Ragusa
Nation of Language – “From The Hill”
A simple descending synth line characterizes Nation of Language’s “From The Hill,” and yet, the trio finds a way to build an entire sonic world out of it. They’re masters of taking the rigid confines of both synth pop and post-punk and expanding them outward, creating emotive, moving pieces in the process. “From The Hill” finds a tension between the song’s bright, bouncy synths and frontman Ian Devaney’s melancholic lyrics about the distancing of friendship. “We’re a long way from the easy days,” he sings with accompanying harmony, before yet another synth explosion snaps him back to his confident, booming baritone.
After the impressionistic musings of 2021’s A Way Forward, it’s pleasant to hear Devaney advance upon those ideas yet again, finding ways to suspend the mood of the song in order to capture an emotional moment in time. — P.R.
Tobias – “House on Fire”
Tobias’ upcoming sophomore album Two Birds came as a result of a somewhat unusual upheaval: After spending over a decade in New York — a city they said was “giving them brain worms” — the burgeoning indie rocker relocated to Denton, Texas, a college town outside of Dallas known for its colorful DIY music scene that often breeds the type of people who aspire to go somewhere bigger, Lady Bird-style.
But the slower lifestyle pace made room for a refreshed sense of creativity that’s felt on Tobias’ “House on Fire,” which pairs weighty guitar chords with Tobias’ understated, almost deadpan vocals. Cloaked in a heavy dose of distortion, the track blends the relaxed stream-of-consciousness of ’90s stalwarts like Slint with the slightly off-kilter melodies of Alex G or Porches. Like watching a building engulfed in flames, it’s equal parts unsettling and mesmerizing. — Abby Jones
Top Songs Playlist:
Song of the Week: Paramore Gives Us a Reason to Leave the House with “This Is Why”
Spencer Dukoff and Consequence Staff
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