evermore- With more high points than folklore and more low, this sister album lives to its name

Music review- Taylor Swift- evermore (2020)

Before starting this album, I revisited folklore and reread the problems I had with it: a lack of vocal vulnerability that gave a distance between Swift and the lyrics that prevented them from feeling as raw as they could, as well as too many vague lyrics that needed listeners to project their own life onto them for them to gain any depth, and the track length being three or four tracks too long. However, the handful of standouts- Mirrorball, Exile, invisible string- and its pleasant tone meant it snuck onto the back end of my best albums of 2020 list (though that might have been through the lack of albums released because of the pandemic). So, when Swift described evermore as going deeper into the folklore woods, I was intrigued and hoped by "deeper" she meant more vulnerable, less please-all and more experimental/raw so that the tracks are a little more distinct and not more of the same.

On evermore, there is still many of the problems of folklore, however, it is a major improvement as it has more variety across the tracklist. If it had four or five songs cut from it, then it would be one of Swift's best albums. However, after two whole albums of this tone in less than six months, mediocrity shouldn't make the cut as there are so many other options on play. She has had a lot of success with folklore, and now with evermore, she has cemented her Grammy wins in February, but if she wanted to make a legendary album then she would have cut the chaff from them both and just released one album of the best 15. From the two albums, there are many very successful tracks that show off Swift's skill at writing narrative lyrics as well as some beautiful vocals. So, she certainly deserves the success she has garnered. But, she can still go bigger: bigger choruses, rawer vocals, riskier production, more opinionated lyrics.

What makes evermore better than folklore is the fact that the highs are higher and there is a larger variety in sounds which make songs more distinct and memorable. However, with variety, she loses in consistency. Folklore is consistent in tone and quality, whereas there is a larger chunk of subpar on evermore. However, the lull of drab rehashes of follore are found in the middle of the album, so you are left on a strong finish and a strong start.

My overarching problem, for many of the meh tracks, is that Swift isn't as powerful of a vocalist as the lyrics need her to be, so even though her narratives are strong, a lot of the necessary emotion and rawness is left out of her cold whispers. Many songs here could be saved by a more experimental and raw vocalist. Both projects leave you asking for more from Swift, not more of the same but more presence vocally and production-wise. But, evermore is a step in the right direction, so if the rumours of a third instalment is to be believed, then I am hopeful of further improvement.

Album review: 7

Track by track breakdown:

willow- Love is a confusing thing and Swift captures that confusion here. She explains how she's falling deeply in love with this man without having the right reasons too. He is not good for her, but she continues to follow him and bend because he is her man and nothing will stop her. The slight earthy bounce in the production captures an exploration around the woods as someone else leads as you follow with childish glee. It's an interesting more nuanced concept than most Swift singles, as well as being more catchy than anything on folklore, but it still struggles to move out of the quaint territory. Swift describes how it isn't an 'open-shut case' but doesn't give us many details to explain why this is true which only leads it to seem like an open-shut case. Yes, he's not good for her and she still loves him but we need to know more than 'he shows her scars' to understand why she loves him or even why he is not right for her. (6)

champagne problems- Wow. Okay. Wow. What a fantastic contrast between the beautiful setup and then the blunt and bitter delivery of the words 'champagne problems' that cuts through the romance and reduces the moment to something so hollow. It is the perfect marriage between vocal delivery and lyrics as they both work to support each other. Swift gives a one-two punch of details dripping in the bridge, which elevates the track from the vaguety of folklore, and the bitter ending that cuts deep. It is the perfect follow up to willow as Swift realises only at the last moment all the reasons why he is not good for her, others may describe these things as champagne problems- nonsignificant things to look past- but for her, they amount to enough to break off the relationship. It is personal and excels by its framing as it begins by making the man the victim and as it slowly moves along we learn why she made the decision she did, so Swift is bringing the audience along with the characters rather than putting us at an emotionless distance (an emotional distance that was experienced throughout folklore). (8)

gold rush- With an intro and outro reminiscent of epiphany- easily one of Swift's worst tracks- Swift only seems to have one technique to show a song is meant to be a daydream; though, how quick the intro and outro are, they are much less irritating than epiphany's attempt at dream-like vocals. Lyrically, the song is how many men would describe the struggle of being in a relationship with a celebrity like Swift: the struggle of reconciling that everybody else wants her and dreams about her, so she will never just be their own treasure. In that way, the song has some personal rawness as by the end the man awakes and decides not to love Swift. However, the lyrics are really vague and a tad dull. It is pleasant and unproblematic, but offers very little. When this is one of now almost 30 songs Swift has done in this vibe in less than four months, it starts to feel like mediocre isn't good enough to make the cut. It is just album filler with clunky transitions between verse and chorus. (3)

'tis the damn season- With a Christmas-like title and themes of going back to your home town, this track may explain why Swift rush-released the album two weeks before Christmas. However, that is just a veneer as the track has darker undertones. Swift narrates going back to an old lover because the familiarity is appreciated even though he is not right for her, for her then to contemplate her loneliness and how this might be her only chance at love. It's her debate on whether her expectations are too high and she should settle for adequate, or whether the romantic dream described in the bridge is truth. On a usual Swift album, this would be a standout track and it is definitely one of the best here, but a final explosion of rawness in the final thirty seconds would have cemented the track as top tier. At current, it is a little too tame and held back to properly excel. (7)

tolerate it- Again, Swift's stripped-down tone ruins another song; where is her rage, frustration, despair, in the production or vocal delivery? A relationship where Swift keeps trying and trying to show her love and it just gets tolerated, this isn't the numb 'oh well' feeling that sonically this song is. The lyrics are at odds with the sound, and this means the track just gets washed away by the rest of the album. The pulsating beat at the back creates tension and the listener is left wanting to hear the fallout and the drama but is left with the least interesting parts of the story. It is just frustrating! It could be better but is just mediocre. (3)

no body, no crime- On first listen, you will explode with joy for this track actually has some energy after a dreary few tracks. With a flurry of guitars and beats, it is nice to have a change of pace with a little more country rock than folk. It is not just the change of pace that makes this song a stand out: a fun track with a twist, the first half narrates a scorned wife unable to prove her husband's infidelity, but it ends on Swift and the wife getting revenge and blaming the mistress. However, Haim's inclusion is wasted as they are only used on two or three lines and sound like how Swift would deliver them. It is not going to be on the top half of my Taylor Swift playlists, but I won't skip it when it comes on shuffle. (7)

happiness- Sounding like a deep cut from Lover, the track is elevated by The Great Gatsby references. Framing her constant reinvention through the narrative of Gatsby thinking Daisy will stay the same and wait for him, she creates nuance with the simple message that you can love your past as well as grow from it. As Swift constantly changes her sound, it is poignant to know she respects all her old selves but realises she is always moving and will find ways she could improve. It is a level of maturity to realise that your past lovers are a photo of who you once were and you can grow and find better but you don't have to hate yourself or your ex for there was happiness. It is the longest track on the album, but it does not feel that way as you get lost in the glitzy atmosphere and the images of the 1920s. It is Swift at her best! (9)

dorothea- On the whole, the track isn't bad, but tiny moments are super irritating: the start where Swift retreads her cutsey girl next door sound, and the elongation of the title in the chorus. It is a return to mostly bland Taylor with very little in the production or lyrics to make it distinct from the rest of folklore or evermore, and the unique parts of the song are what makes it most irritating. Dorothea is framed from the perspective of a lover telling their celebrity ex they can always come back; it just doesn't have much more to add than that. She asks 'do you ever think about me?' and to be honest, I don't think I will ever think of dorothea again, and I don't feel sad about that fact. (3)

coney island- Very similarly to The Archer on Lover, the dream-like production builds tension but never goes anywhere. The harp and heartbeat drums give it an angelic cinematic feel as Swift sits on a bench in coney island lost in thought about an old lover. So, the build-up of tension that leads nowhere makes semantic sense as it relates to how her thoughts constantly agitate her but never go anywhere. But, sonically it is a bit drab. The National collab offers a less gritty and less sexy Bon Iver performance that is just okay and makes the song sound like exile's less interesting brother. This is the perfect song for Swift to show off her voice with some belts or raw voice breaks, but instead, we get the same tepid whisper that feels really cold and emotionless. (3)

ivy- Ahh some vocal flair, omg I could cry! Finally, a track where she uses her voice to some interesting effect rather than just whisper singing. Whether it is the swelling vocals in the background that give ivy some energy or the inflections trickled throughout that spark some life into the track, Swift uses her voice more like an instrument than an empty vessel. Every time the chorus comes in, you can't help but smile because of the jolly production and interesting vocal delivery. Then you look to the lyrics where there is enough medieval imagery that it could be ripped from a Florence Welch album (a huge compliment from me) as she describes the sad but desperately needed relief of a woman finding happiness from a man that she isn't married to. Complex none literal lyrics, check, vocal flair, check, interesting production, check, a distinct and catchy chorus, check; oh my, Swift might have cracked the code and improved on all my problems of folklore. (9)

cowboy like me- A slow bluesy ballad feeling like an end of the night for a country bar as the barman wakes up the drunk cowboy off the bar and tells him to leave. For a very slow album, is it brave or stupid to slow it down even more? Depending on your feeling for these kinds of songs your answer will change, but Swift would have given the song more favours by not making it the eleventh track as it just emphasises the slowness of the song. It quaint, she cute, but it is the kind of song that will be no ones favourite but also no one's least favourite. (3)

long story short- A production that really really wants to be a pop-rock banger but has been told to tone it down to fit the vibe of the album. It sounds like a reject from reputation reworked to fit the vibe of the current Swift. It has got the same type of almost-cringe lyrics that most of the reputation album has where depending on who you are you'll either see it as childish or sassy. The third verse where Swift directly calls her past self is one of those moments. It is an attempt to show growth from the way she felt during the reputation album, but still very muchly has the same egotism to it that if you are a die-hard Swift fan you'll find a lot in it, but a casual listener just doesn't care. It is nice for a change of pace with a sonic tone that is distinct to the rest, but its lyrical themes hold it back. (4)

marjorie- With lyrics that sound like quotes to be put up in a middle-class kitchen 'never be so kind, you forget to be clever', Swift celebrates the wise advice of her grandmother and her feelings surrounding her loss. It is a sweet ode to a beloved family member and many can relate with having an older wiser matriarch giving advice like the ones Swift describes. But, the most interesting aspect of the song is the operatic vocals in the background at the end that is the voice of her grandmother- what a gorgeous moment and celebration of Marjorie's life! There is a beautiful flurry in the production and Swift's vocals specifically in the bridge. But, the repetitive chorus holds the track back from greatness. (6)

closure- The opening will jolt you back to life after the sombre vibe of the rest fo the album. The industrial style drums and computer-like noises create an uneasy production that keeps you uncomfortable and on edge. It directly contrasts Swift's soft vocals. This contrasts works to explain the pain Swift is feeling under her calm composure as she is frustrated with a past lovers way of handling the breakup. Semantically it works well and creates a relatable sensation where you want to scream and shout but you can't so it is just left as a rumbling pain in the back of your mind. But sonically, Swift and the production are jarring which makes it a difficult, though intended, listen that means you don't wish to revisit again any time soon. (4)

evermore- exile was one of the best on folklore and should have got single service, so now Bon Iver returns and is upgraded to title track status. Iver's big draw in exile was his gritty, husky and raw vocals that injected waves of emotion with its contrast to Swift's softness, so for his voice to be heavily autotuned is a peculiar choice. However, Swift sounds so crystal clear and full in her vocal delivery that Iver's vocals add an emotional distortion to the narrative and completes the contrast that worked so well in the previous song. Yes, the transition from Swift to Iver is clunky as fuck, but once you are in Iver's section you return back to bliss. It is a beautiful song about the fear that your pain will last forever. The drama comes from its delicate sound and the euphoric chorus that is soft yet transports you to a new world. It is the exact kind of rawness and experimentalism that was lost on folklore. (8)