When pressed on the issue about Taylor Swift’s last two albums, there have been comments alluding to the fact that she is the face of producer manufactured music rising up in the country world, that she could can sit in a recording booth and have her music altered to the point of digital enhancement perfection. Swift’s latest album, Speak Now, is titled perfectly for the occasion. Speak Now is reflects on Swift’s life with a voice truer now than her prior works, tapping into a raw rocking country sound that strays away from her normal pop melodies.
The opening two songs “Mine” and “Sparks Fly” falls in line with her popular hits. After the first eight minutes of the album though, Speak Now takes a turn that could be argued for better or for worse. The song becomes truly country, the lyrics becoming deeply involved about love lost, gained, and forever cherished. The songs flow into one each other smoothly, with ups and downs seamlessly strung together into a perfect relaxing collection of songs.
When closing in the middle of the album, Swift showcases a very wholesome side, eliminating the complexities and intricacies of overburdened songs and coming back to simple state of mind. “Mean” is a song that is straightforward at face value, removing all instruments except a banjo and the clap of her hands to generate the beats, but is rooted deeply in Americana. “Mean” is the song you would listen to while cruising down the open highway, breathing in the fresh air from miles of open spaces.
The next few songs revert back to some of Taylor Swift’s older works with a new kick in them. These songs are rooted in Taylor Swift‘s style but the execution provides some surprise with a different twist implemented with each passing tune. “Better than Revenge” transforms the flow of the album by injecting a rock song right in the heart of the mix. “Revenge” appears to be Taylor Swift’s attempt to sound grungier and closer to rock, being almost comparable to a group like Paramore. “Haunted” uses a full orchestral group that plays the song ironically very hauntingly.
The album closes out anti-climactically. Taylor Swift sticks to her trusted arsenal of hit making tools and ends the album on a good but very safe note. However, Speak Now does provide the palette with enough of a different taste of music that is refreshing and fun to listen to. Swift embraces what she knows, plays that part well, but then extends her boundaries creating a whole new sound that is satisfying to listen to by any music lover. If you’re thinking that this is just another repeat of the same stuff you’ve heard from this upcoming country icon, take a look again, you may be pleasantly surprised how true her sound has become.
I think this was a good summary of what one might expect when going to pick up the new Taylor Swift album. The only thing that bothers me is the last sentence of the fourth paragraph. It seems out of place or just lacks enough backing detail to belong in that space.
ReplyDeleteYou pose a really topical issue in the first paragraph which is interesting. How much of today's top 40 is just producer manufactured? Probably more than we know. It's intruiging and therefore I kept reading. Could use more of that argument within the rest of the review? or maybe touch back on it in the conclusion?
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