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suggest me new music to explore !!

in need of some different music to explore and listen to please!! suggest me your faves and I would be super grateful !!!

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Having just watched Paramore’s performance of Running Out Of Time live on the Jimmy Kimmel show, I have a couple more things to say about this new Paramore era.

Firstly, and this is not music based, but can we talk about Hayley’s outfit choice for a second – she never fails to miss when it comes to performances like these. Her choice for this performance is just so interesting, and I feel like it completely suits the tone of the song. The pink, the pearls in her hair, even just the way her hair is done, it’s giving the ultimate getting-ready-in-a-hurry vibes, and I just adore the outfit choice. Zac, too, is giving some almost summery vibes, and I love the sunglasses choice – I am enjoying this exploration into his own fashions and showmanship.

Not to harp on too much about Hayley Williams, but how could I not? Her energy for this performance, and the way she is interacting with the stage in such a playful, bouncy manner, really suggests that this is a Paramore she is comfortable in – not to say she wasn’t in their previous eras, her energy and performance levels are always so high, but she just looks so comfortable with her work, and appears to have clear passion with the song she is performing. Even the boys, too, look energetic – though Taylor is his usual focused self, they are just appearing much more cohesive. Though this could, in fairness, be a bias on my part as I really believe that the This Is Why album is the band at a new peak. Brian Jones on guitar, also, is such a great addition to the band – his and Hayley’s energy mesh so well together on stage and create such a playful, invigorating environment.

I’m a big fan of vocals and singing as a general rule – so, a lot of music I enjoy tends to be because I love the vocals and lyrics to a song. So, please forgive me for going on about the vocalists too much, but it’s simply what I tend to fixate on – and it’s incredibly hard not to fixate on vocals, when Hayley William’s is a part of a song. She always manages to match a songs vocals perfectly when performing live – sometimes, even improving on such. Let’s just remember their performance of All I Wanted at When We Were Young festival, back in October of 2022 – Hayley’s voice was simply stunning. This statement continues for their Jimmy Kimmel show performance: her vocals are so fun, energetic, and just match so perfectly to the studio version, and the variations she puts on the studio edition, only enhance the performance.

The live perfomance was a beautiful showcase of the bands talent, and Hayley, Zac and Taylor just appear to comfortable and happy with this new era – and I can’t wait to see them in April, and finally see some of these new songs live in person.

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a link to the master playlists of my favourite songs, updated every couple days<3 

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‘Truth Decay’

February 10th was a good day for me – travelling to London for a You Me At Six (YMAS) concert, I had three new albums to explore on that long, incredibly boring journey. Of course, Paramore’s This is Why album was the highlight of the day, alongside YMAS’s Truth Decay and Pierce the Veil’s Jaws of Life. Today’s focus will be on YMAS’s Truth Decay – was it worth the delay, and all their hype?

I was introduced to YMAS from a very young age by my cousin, but never got into them too much. This was until Bite my Tongue came on the radio, early 2012 – where my love really stemmed from, and started to grow. By the end of the year, I had been to my first ‘proper’ concert (i.e., one I actually wanted to go to), with their Final Night of Sin live at Wembley arena – and what a night that was. Sinners Never Sleep holds a special place in my heart, but the true shining album for me is their 2010 Hold me Down album – with Stay with Me, Contagious Chemistry, Trophy Eyes and of course, Underdog, taking the lead for possibly their best songs. Their fourth album following Sinners Never Sleep, Cavalier Youth, held a different tone and mood, but the spring vibe to the album is one that I embraced and enjoy – an album to enjoy for blue skies and drinks. It has some songs the follow the same ideas of their first three, such as Fresh Start Feverand Room to Breathe, but the others breathed a new gush of air into the band, and again, I enjoyed the spring vibes that came with it.

But from Cavalier Youth onwards, I started to enjoy their music just that little bit less. Night People, VI and SUCKAPUNCH I enjoyed, but to a much lesser extent. It didn’t stop me from going to their shows of course, but there was the feeling that a lot of their songs were produced solely for the matter of playing them live, as opposed to home listening. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing these performances – due to the pandemic, their performance at Alexandra Palace this year was my first show of theirs since 2019 and experiencing SUCKAPUNCH live was honestly an amazing experience. But the three albums since Cavalier Youth, just don’t share those same components that their first four albums did – it seemed a pretty big leap away from their old tones, and honestly, VI was not an album I was expecting at all. I still enjoy them but have far more songs I don’t choose listen to, than those I’ll actively want to listen to.

Which leads me, of course, to Truth Decay. Having brought the tickets to the album tour, back in July of last year, I was incredibly excited – mostly for the fact that it would be my 9th YMAS show to date (so close to double digits!), but also for the new music that would be released. Deep Cuts and No Future? Yeah Right, were in my favourite of the singles, and though the others later released I wouldn’t enjoy as much, these two gave me hope for the new album – a good mix of their original vibes, a bit of angst and anger, alongside some newer vibes that I was hoping would grow on me. I know heartLESS certainly did, and I’ve had it on my mind on a loop for a while recently, so naturally I was excited for Truth Decay’s eventual release. Having it pushed back, so that we couldn’t experience much of it live was a slight disappointment, however the setlist that they did perform, more than made up for that – and maybe it was for the better.

The album isn’t a complete let down – with the three singles I really enjoy, alongside After Love in the After Hours, Breakdown and A Love Letter to Those Who Feel Lost, the album holds up. A Love Letter to Those Who Feel Lost, is absolutely beautiful – Cody Frost’s vocals pair so wonderfully with Josh Franceschi’s, creating an incredibly emotive and stunning performance. But the album certainly doesn’t take a top spot in their works, in my opinion. For the most part, the only way I can describe it is ‘meh’ – it’s slightly underwhelming. Perhaps this is in part to its release date? The original release date was scheduled for the 27th of January, but due to vinyl production issues, this was pushed back to February 10th – as we know, the date of Paramore’s This is Why release, alongside Pierce the Veil’s Jaws of Life. Perhaps a reason to my feelings of slight disappointment, was my excitement for Paramore’s release? I made the conscious effort to listen to YMAS’s album first – both in preparation for the concert, and to try and not let Paramore’s album overshadow their work, and yet it just failed to live up to any expectations. The album’s okay. It just isn’t excellent, and to be fair, I suppose my love for Hold me Down, makes any that follow a little hard to live up to. I have grown to like the direction YMAS are choosing to follow with their form of maturity and their explorations of genres outside of teen angst, but the few songs that stand out, don’t overtake my love for their old music. I can still recognise a bit of their old genre, especially in God Bless the 90s Kids, and even in A Smile to Make You Weak(er) at the Knees, but for me, it just isn’t enough.

That being said, this will never stop me from listening to whatever they produce next or seeing them live – even for those who don’t love YMAS, their live performances are truly an experience. They never fail to put on a good, lively, welcoming, and wonderful show, and the band truly know how to create an excellent atmosphere.

Maybe the album will grow on me. I really hope so.

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‘This is Why’

Paramore’s newest release This Is Why, might just be the best Paramore album to date. Don’t get me wrong – I love their old, emo music. Like many little emo children back in the 2000’s, Paramore dominated much of my listening; from the second I heard Misery Business, I was hooked. Being the type of person who is incredibly resistant to change, I personally did not find their Paramore album much to my taste – for me, I felt it strayed too far from the Paramore I knew and loved. It didn’t stop me from listening to After Laughter of course, but again, I just did not see Paramore in the songs. To me, those two albums are almost a crossroad for the band – they were exploring and trying to re-invent and find themselves as a band after so much conflict between the members. Some wonderful songs from these albums still – Part II, (One of Those) Crazy Girls; Pool and Idle Worship to name my favourites – but as an overall, to me, it just wasn’t what I saw Paramore to be.

Hayley’s self-titled album, on the other hand, was truly a masterpiece. Petals for Armour was what I listened to on repeat in the first covid-19 lockdown – her pain and anger, brought out so beautifully with her magnificent vocals, truly showcased an unmatched talent. Sudden Desire, Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris, and Crystal Clear, display her vocal range and musical abilities to their highest form. Petals for Armour was such a step away from Paramore, and especially the Paramore I was used to – leading to a wondering of what this meant for the band’s future.

Their first single since After Laughter, This is Why, again took a step in another direction. You can see the elements of Paramore and After Laughter within the song, yet still brings a completely new era into the equation. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the album – with the accompanying singles of The News and C’est Comme Ça, I was expecting a newer, improved era of their 2013 and 2017 albums. What has been produced, however, is something entirely different. This is Why, is that perfect blend of Hayley’s solo projects, and Paramore as a band – Figure 8, especially, for me, is the perfect example of such. The lyrics, raw, emotional vocals and the accompanying music mesh perfectly, combining Hayley’s solo work exploration, and Paramore’s new era.

I saw a tweet (@tinyhottopicbish) upon release date, suggesting listening to Pool, Crystal Clear and Liar in a sequence. The way the songs flow into each other, across the span of three sperate albums, made me second guess my initial reactions to Paramore and After Laughter. It is almost as if a plan was truly made – perhaps this was always the route Paramore was to go. I’ll re-iterate that I am not a fan of change – when My Chemical Romance’s Danger Days album was released, I was almost hurt by the drastic change in their tone and mood. Paramore's 2013 album brought about the same reaction. But we all must grow up and mature at some point, and Paramore’s evolution is clearly one for the better. This is Why, is a wonderful example of such maturity: it is different but holds elements of their roots still at heart. It has made me re-think my emotions on their 2013 and 2017 albums, and although they will never be my favourite of their six albums, This is Why may have overtaken Brand New Eyes, and I am so excited to see what the future holds for Paramore.

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fun facts about me!

- I'm 24 years old :)

- I have a joint honours BA degree in English Literature and History, and am currently studying an MA in English Literature 

- I am an avid music lover: music is a vital component in my life, and I cannot think of a time where it hasn’t been

- My favourite bands / musicians include You Me At Six, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Nothing But Thieves, Don Broco, Lorde and The Kooks<3

- With all the new music that has come out from my favourite bands, and concerts I have coming up, I’ve set up this little blog to explore my emotions and reactions to such, and hope to connect with others too, who share the same passions for the music I love!

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current obsession