This summer, Taylor Swift was to head Glastonbury. In fact, she was destined to play a host of festivals and shows on an international tour, as well as hosting her own two-part ‘Lover Fest’ in America, all in celebration of her seventh studio album ‘Lover’, which was published last August). The global pandemic, of course, meant that these plans were scrapped, leaving Swift with plenty of free time. No longer locked in rehearsals or flying around the world performing tens of thousands, she used these hours to write.
The results of these unplanned quarantine writing sessions have been brought together on Swift’s new eighth studio album, ‘Folklore’. Unusually ‘made a Beyoncé’, announcing the album less than 24 hours before it drops, an absolute change to the calculated and very deliberate release schedules we’ve seen on Swift in the past. In a simple statement posted on social media, she acknowledged that she would generally expect and release the album at the “perfect” time, but said the global situation reminded her that “nothing is guaranteed.” These shock release tactics go hand in hand with a change in Swift’s musical direction; ‘Folklore’ is something totally unexpected from one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
Over the course of seven albums, we’ve seen Swift evolve from a youthful country crossover with a fresh, hopeful face to an elegant synth-pop hit list. Each album has brought about gradual changes: ‘Speak Now’ from 2010 was more rocky and ‘Red’ from 2012 saw more pop-slanted production, and by the time we got to ‘1989’ in 2014, it had put aside the cowboy hat for pure cigar. pop bangers. On album eight, Swift plunges headlong into the world of folk, alternative rock, and indie.
It was written in isolation; she was remotely associated with a handful of her musical heroes and independent legends, including Aaron Dessner of The National (who worked on 11 of the 16 songs), Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (he makes the album’s only guest appearance on ‘Exile’ ) and longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. In her pre-launch statement, she claims to have worked with another ‘hero’, the mysterious William Bowery, though there are no known details about her elsewhere and fans have speculated that this is a pen name for her brother or boyfriend, actor Joe .
Whoever Bowery is, the results are unexpected and sometimes astonishing: ‘Folklore’ feels that Swift has traveled to a metaphorical cabin in the woods, even if he has a very strong Wi-Fi connection, and has created a beautiful, laid-back record full of modern folk songs. . .
Dessner’s fingerprints permeate most of the ‘Folklore’. The dripping piano in ‘The 1’ and ‘Mad Woman’ recalls last year’s The National album ‘I Am Easy to Find’ and ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ evokes the stunning production heard on the band’s 2017 album ‘ Sleep Well Beast ‘. ‘. However, these brooding instrumentals are always complemented by Swift’s signature vocals and earworm hooks, a reminder that this is the artist behind some of the biggest songs of the past decade. Meanwhile, Bon Iver’s collaboration, ‘Exile,’ is a melancholic duet, a slow burner that finally breaks out into a brilliant euphoric climax filled with vocals, chorus and strings reminiscent of Vernon’s fourth Bon Iver album, last year. ‘i, i’.
Despite the bold new direction, there are also moments of nostalgia for Swift’s albums. A sweet melody about high school romance written by Swift and the enigmatic Bowery, ‘Betty’ fuses this new folk-rock sound with country moments we haven’t heard on multiple albums. ‘My Tears Ricochet’ feels like a sister to Imogen Heap co-written ‘1989’ ‘Clean’, only this time a megawatt pop song is encased in layered vocals and twinkling music box instrumentals.
Right: At 16 songs (17, if you count the extra song ‘The Lakes’), ‘Folklore’ can sometimes drag a little. ‘Mirrorball’, a saccharine statement of romance, lacks the bite of the rest of the album, while ‘Epiphany’ feels a little slow. However, for the most part, Swift’s elegant melodies, brilliant production, and most importantly, Swift’s composition and lyricism take her off the edge.
In fact, it’s Swift’s vivid narration that makes ‘Folklore’ such an impressive album. This facet has always been a cornerstone of her music, but her discography sparkles with intensifying gems (the guts coupling) “You call me again just to break like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest” orn ‘Red’ s ‘All Too Well’; the rich description of a striking wedding in the title track of ‘Speak Now’).
‘Folklore’ is infused with this type of narration. Take ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ which is a candidate for the best Taylor Swift song ever written. Describing the life of a woman collapsing around her, the descriptive lyrics evoke those of 80s singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, or the complex stories that Bob Dylan spins in her long, sinuous verses. ‘Invisible Chain’, filled with an unusual change of phrase: “Bad was the blood of the song in the cabin on your first trip to LA“- it’s a heartfelt insight into Swift’s current relationship. And of course, there are plenty of forceful kisses perfect for her next Instagram caption, the best comes when Swift whispers. “And if I’m dead to you, why are you awake?” in ‘My Tears Ricochet’.
‘Folklore’ feels fresh, progressive and, above all, honest. The brilliant production it has lent over the past half decade is put aside for simpler, softer melodies and melancholic instrumentation. It is the sound of an artist who is bored with calculated releases and wanted to try something different. Swift disappeared into the metaphorical forest while writing ‘Folklore’, and has emerged stronger than ever.
Details
Release date: July 24
Registration label: Republic
