Paramore – Hard Times
This past week I managed to enjoy the newest single from the self-proclaimed, “genre-neutral” band (at least that’s what lead singer Hayley Williams states on her Instagram bio) Paramore, “Hard Times.” I’ve always had a soft spot for the band since my high school days, and while their self-titled 2013 effort was at most just a decent album, 2017 sees the band in a whole new light. With “Hard Times,” the band is heading moreso into a radio-pop friendly route, something they have been seen experimenting with in their last studio effort. The song took me a couple listens for it to really click with me, what with a choir singing the “hard times” hook (seemingly sung by all the members of the band akin to something another contemporary band, Grouplove, would do). But otherwise, I’m enjoying the new direction Paramore are going for. It’s not pop-punk as they were once formerly described, but it’s a new direction. And let’s face it, for a band to sound the same through their entire lifespan would, frankly, be pretty boring.
– Adrian Garcia, SSW
