Album Review: evermore

evermore
Artist: Taylor Swift
Length: 1 hour
Genre: alt rock, indie, pop
My Rating: 5/5

But I come back stronger than a '90s trend.

True words by Taylor Swift. This is just one of the many genius lyrics that kicks off Swift's sophomore indie album. I feel like this was apt to post on Taylor's birthday. Not only did she release this 2 days before her 31st birthday, but this is also her second surprise album of the year. This girl really has me questioning what I've been doing with my own time during this pandemic.

If you have not heard folklore yet, then I highly recommend you give it a listen before proceeding to evermore. This album is definitely a continuation of her predecessors, as it gives off similar vibes. I would say this is more alternative and a little less somber than her previous album. Even though Taylor's sound has changed, you can still catch glimpses of the singer through the layers of her songwriting. It is new, but at the same time not new at all. Her craft is stronger than ever. There is always an element of surprise to her work, and she does not hide that with this album, especially with the surprise release.

It's interesting to see the progression of Taylor Swift over the last 15 years, from country to pop to her weird rebellious phase back to pop and finally this. Her current era really sums up what her life is at this moment, as she is now in her 30s, has built a highly successful career, and like so many others is trying to endure through this pandemic. Both folklore and evermore correctly capture the essence of this, and what so many of us are feeling right now. These are very much appropriate albums to be released during these trying times. Given how 2020 has been a difficult year in many aspects, her new sound accurately reflects what has occurred over this last year.

Now about the actual album. Swift continues to draw on real life experiences along with fictional characters that she has always created in her music. I particularly love her narrative songs, as it provides a short story escape from reality. Her words are as powerful as ever. I don't know how Swift does it, but she is a lyrical genius. Like her other albums, when listening to her songs the words sound simple enough, but in hindsight it is difficult to pinpoint how she conjures up such incredible lyrics. She again has surprise guest appearances from Haim, the National, and Bon Iver again. Some stand out songs to me at the moment include willow, gold rush, tolerate it, dorothea, long story short, marjorie, closure, and evermore.

I'm not sure if I want Swift to release another surprise album after this. If she does, I feel the element of surprise will no longer be there and it'll just become redundant. It does make me wonder where her career will be going from here. But then again, Swift never fails to surprise her listeners...

So if you have had the chance to listen, feel free to post your thoughts in the comments. And if not, well here's her music video for willow, her first single off the album.

Happy listening!