10 Sellout Albums That Don't Suck
3. After Laughter - Paramore
Many pop punk fans are probably shaking their heads wondering what the hell happened to Paramore. Even though Hayley Williams' voice was the stuff of legend back in the days of Riot!, these guys have been on a slow slide towards poppier fare ever since Brand New Eyes. While most of us probably expected a nice slice of pop rock at this point, Williams got her band back together and hit us right in the feels on After Laughter.
First of all, it's not like this album is anything new at this point, with most of the '80s throwback pastiches being landmarks of pop culture for a little while now. No...the devil is in the details here, with most of the lyrics being a bit on the depressive side. Suffice to say that Ms. Williams has had a rough few years, with Rose Colored Boy and Told You So laying out her struggles cut and dry.
In essence, this is probably one of the most artistic efforts that the band ever made, taking really dark subject matter and marrying it to songs that sound like they should be blaring over a raving dance club. Some rock fans may feel betrayed by this move, but it might be the most important leap forward that the band could have possible made.