Paramore is in a precarious position. When they released Riot! in 2007, they were just another darling of Alternative Press. Riot! was a major breakthrough, and like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, Paramore has crossed the threshold into major rock stardom. Now they face the difficult task of maintaining their integrity in the face of their sudden fame. It is a story as old as the rock business itself.
Brand New Eyes is a direct reference to Paramore’s new position. The album could have gone two different ways. The first would be a straight sequel to Riot! A sequel would bring big dividends but wouldn’t accomplish anything artistically. The second would be an ambitious, mature album that would be artistically satisfying, but might not sound like Paramore. Brand New Eyes is a mixture of the two approaches, and the results are generally satisfying.
Everything that made Paramore a breakout band is here, but the difference is in tone. Riot! was exuberant, joyous, and grateful. Brand New Eyes is darker, paranoid, and defensive. Hayley Williams’ lyrics are less sassy and more forceful. On the first single, “Ignorance,” she defiantly challenges her critics to judge her, and flatly stating that she doesn’t care. She repeats “We’re not the same/we’re not the same” several times. It was written as a kiss-off, but it sounds as if she is trying to convince herself. The confidence of the early singles is shaken.
This record is all about change, and it’s not just about going from clubs to arenas. When you are in your late teens/early 20s, two years is a long time. One of the most interesting tracks on the album is the autobiographical “Brick by Boring Brick.” The narrator talks about living in a fairy tale that “is too far for us to find.” She worries about losing touch with the simple things in her life, and mentions that she has to “keep her feet on the ground/while my head’s in the clouds.” These are all clichés, but when you put them in perspective, they are quite powerful. Hayley Williams has gone from an average teenager to a role model. It’s traumatizing to think that things will never be the same again.
“Brick by Boring Brick” would have been a good song if it stayed in that direction, but midway through, they pour on another layer. At the end of the second verse, she sings, “We’ll be sure to build your house brick by boring brick/or the wolf is going to blow it down.” Hayley laments the loss of her simple kind of life, but at the same time she doesn’t want to lose it. She might never be able to go to the movies with complete anonymity again, but her world has gotten bigger.
Unfortunately, Brand New Eyes does not have a jaw-dropping pop single like “That’s What You Get.” There are moments where the band attempts to replicate the joy of Riot! (“Coming Up”), but they come off as flat and forced. Paramore has grown up, and the infectious “Hey kids! Let’s put on a show” mentality of Riot! is gone. That’s what you get when you let the fame win.