Folklore- Emotional lyrics let down by an artist too afraid to get vocally vulnerable

Music Review- Taylor Swift- Folklore (2020)

Taylor Swift returns with a more stripped album in Folklore. Though on her usual albums these narrative led tracks are the stand outs, to release an album filled with them means her lyrics, voice and production are measured by different standards. If she wants to be considered an excellent narrative writer, then she will be measured against other excellent narrative writers not her pop contemporaries. Sadly, under this kind of microscope Swift's please-all popstar persona means the tracks lack the edge, the rawness and the vulnerability that it properly needs to sell the songs. Yes, there is more depth here than on usual pop albums, but if Swift was willing to be more vulnerable vocally, the production a little less glossy and the story more focused, then I would believe her more.

The album contains tracks that put a microscope onto a relationship at different stages, but the track list seems to jump between the formation then breakup to go back again without any clear over arching narrative. It gives the album this hodgepodge feel that is only tied together by the muted melancholy production. Swift wants us to focus on how deep her lyrics are, but without any focus or clear narrative she is just left shouting to the wind. One moment we are listening to cliche teenage woes and the next its a flutter of hope and round and round again; its got no direction or statement. In all, it makes the lyrics feel vague like a veneer of depth without offering the substance to back it up and go further than Swift's usual refrain.

Swift's vocal delivery is always a little to glossy to properly sell the vulnerable and raw aspects of the songs. I want a desperate growl or a voice crack to truly sell her investment to the lyrics, but she always seems to hold back and offer a tepid whisper delivery. Hopefully on a live show, Swift can give a little more emotion to support her lyrics. If these songs were sang with more oomph, then any flaws in the lyrics would be believable and she would add that extra layer of depth and believability that is missing on many tracks. It occasionally feels unauthentic like Swift has never really felt what it is like to experience what she is singing about. It feels like looking at someones photo album where you hear the narratives behind them, but you are not transported to actually feel them.

When Swift is singing catchy sing along pop hooks, then her less than impressive voice isn't necessarily a problem. That is the thing, a good memorable pop hook would really elevate some of the tracks; the melancholy muted sadness all bleeds into one that the lack of desperation and drama means few tracks offer much distinct to love. If you don't like the tone of the first few tracks, then stop and save your time as there is nothing different to change your mind. Swift doesn't have the voice and doesn't go far enough into the raw vulnerable aspects of the lyrics to sell an album like this, so needs the pop hooks to make the tracks stand out more. Done well, like on other Swift albums, pop hooks shouldn't be considered low brow, they are just a different writing style.

Her narrative led tracks are always the critic darlings, but her lyrics are always so literal. Anyone looking for an interesting metaphor or anything to analyse for longer than a thempto-second will be dissapointed as her straight to the point lyrics offer little to love. Don't get me wrong, her lyrics are better here than the pop drivel she often releases as lead singles, "Shake it off Shake it off Shake it off", but it is the same vague flutters of greatness found as deep cuts on usual Swift albums. It's an improvement in consistency yes, but it is not the masterpiece album some will suggest it is. Critics will praise her going back to her roots and the change in tone, but the change is only in aesthetic as this is still the usual Swift album. If you want truly vulnerable and personal pieces of art that marries the tension with the drama, then look to Weyes Blood, Phoebe Bridges or any artist not weighed down by the please-all celebrity status of Swift.

With a little bit more time to perfect Swift's vocals and a more exciting, messy, unpredictable production, then this album could have been masterful. The narrative lead lyrics are interesting and pleasant but lack the vulnerable vocals, manic rawness in production and distinct hooks to properly excel. But, that is not to say there are not some gems in the tracklist that hit the mark and show Swift at her best.

Album Review: 6.5

Track By Track Breakdown:

The 1- "You know the greatest films of all time were never made" Taylor reminisces of her lovers that never were and comes to the conclusion that her dreamed up men are better than any met in real life. It's a painful feeling of missing out on your one true match because of circumstance or timing. It's a quaint song that feels like looking through a photo album that doesn't exist, but its muted tone lacks the drama of any personal relation to the photos. The lyrics are vague enough that any sad listener can relate and project their own emotion on to it. However, the lack of tension, voice crack or any kind of stakes in the song make it feel more of an interesting thought experiment than any personally grounded drama. It is melancholy epitomised and will be the soundtrack for many pensive listeners, but that will be them reliving their own stories as other than she "never painted by numbers" we don't know much about Taylor's story. (4)

Cardigan- Feeling unloved, Swift finds a new sense of life from her new man. The song builds off of The1's foundations as we go from a sense of melancholy to have slight flurry of hope. One might go as far as saying that this is the antithesis of The1 as rather than pensively thinking about what could have been, Swift tells people that their young love is real if you believe it. "When you are young, they assume you know nothing" is the cliche teenager "you just don't get me" in a different dress but still as cringe. Again, it's the kind of relatable vague lyrics that listeners will swan to as it gives people hope that what they've got will last forever. It's nice to hear the breakup-song queen find some happiness that has a nice, if muted, sense of euphoria to it. But, it lacks the burst of passion to really make it alight as it is just a flutter of happiness like a passing butterfly with no weight or in-depth details to give it some legs. (5)

The last great american dynasty- It's interesting that Swift only gives real details in her lyrics when she is singing from the perspective of others; it's as if she's a heavily controlled pop star that cannot reveal truths about herself for fear of upsetting parts of her fan base that project their own understanding of Swift onto her. Cynicism aside, this track is refreshing and the kind of track I'd hope to find on a Swift album. The majority of pop lyrics are written to be understood as the perspective of the singer and it is that which is the big difference between it and poetry as a poem inhabits a hundred and one perspectives but never the poets. So, it is a credit to Swift's lyricism to write a song like this, however it does lack the vulnerability or drama that grounds good poetry. It's got an interesting narrative of a girl losing control of the way people perceive her, but by the end of the track finds herself again and controls her narrative. What elevates it is the cute details Swift gives the character of Rebekah that fleshes out the narrative and makes it more nuanced than a vessel for sad teens to project their woes onto. Also, it's rather catchy, and on an album with very few interesting hooks, that certainly makes it a stand out. (7)

Exile- Finally an interesting vocal delivery from Swift, up until this point on the album her lifeless performance has done nothing to elevate the lyrics. But here, Bon Iver's country grit acts as the perfect foil to Swift's soft whisper notes and develops really interesting dynamics between their voices. A well developed conversation that will never get said between two ex-lovers seeing each other with their new partner. It captures the awkward moment of accidentally bumping into an ex and their partner and having your whole world stop for a moment to take it in. The lyrics jump between confusion, frustration and realisation of moving on that never really comes to fruition until you've seen your ex with someone else. The production has some nice swell to it that supports the narrative and adds to the feeling of the rest of the world falling away as you stop with thoughts floating around your mind. (8)

My tears ricochet- A nuanced exploration of how love and hate are more similar than people realise. Passion is passion and are often one in the same. Swift wonders why a lover is at the wake of her her funeral when they've hurt her so much, and she comes to terms with how we only hurt the things we love. It's interesting how Swift is more willing here than on previous albums to explore her own involvement in the relationships negative aspects. It's a perfectly pleasant track that offers enough to be interesting. But again, Swift's vocal delivery is uninspired with no growls, cracks or depth to properly add the vulnerability the lyrics deserve. It is too much glossy production and vocals to go as raw as necessary to set this song a part. Which is a shame because the lyrics deserve better. Hopefully, in a live performance this song might hit people harder, but at the moment it is just pleasant. (7)

Mirrorball- This track is the most pop like track on the album and would be at home on any of Swift's more poptastic cuts. It has got more of a flurry of energy in the production that gives it a more distinct happy feeling than the pensivity of the rest of the album. It is also the track which has some lyrical flare as she dabbles with metaphors for celebrity and fame from a performative clown to a mirrorball. I give mad respect to Swift for tackling a problem I've had with many of her tracks: her lyrics and themes are usually so vague in order to be relatable to as many people and reflect the listeners experience rather than having her own voice. Though she is aware of this and suggests it is a deliberate choice to act as a mirrorball, it doesn't stop it being a valid critique. This song is relatable for any performer or person wanting to fit in while also being an interesting commentary on being a celebrity in the age of twitter where you end up being everything and nothing for fans. This track is great, but would have been elevated if Swift went a little further and gave a more nuanced take: how does she feel being a vessel for others, does she want to change? It provokes a lot of questions which means it will sit with you for a lot longer than other tracks. (8)

Seven- A fear for many is the fear that your best years are behind you and you'll never relive the happy and innocent times again. Admittedly, most would suggest their best years are in their twenties, but Swift has covered that part of life to death. Seven offers cute references to pirates and dolls and the fun of youth that gives it a nostalgic twinge. But, the chorus and verse-two have melodies and vocal deliveries that are meant to come across as playful but are actually irritating. It seems to aim for cutsey but doesn't go far enough to sell it. If the production was more inspired, then this would be an interesting song, but it just bleeds into the rest and means the intriguing concept is left without meeting its peak. (3)

August- That feeling of wanting someone so much, that you are left waiting like a fool as they live their life not knowing how important they are to you, is relatable. We've all lost months dreaming of a person, hoping they'd call or show you a sign and for that moment they are the most important thing to you, but they were never yours. It's an interesting concept to put to song and certainly not something I expected Swift to write about. I think on songs like this Swift's distance from the lyrics shine through, yes she wrote them but her vocal delivery suggests she doesn't believe them. It feels like you are hearings someone sing lyrics from a different artist because the emotion, the desperation, the pain, the longing that is clear in the song lyrics is just not put across by Swift. She gives a hollowness to the song that though she is singing, I don't think she's ever felt it. (7)

This is me trying- "They told me all of my cages were mental, So I got wasted like all my potential" is maybe one of the most interesting and vulnerable lines on the whole album. Hearing how Taylor Swift deals with the backlash of the drama she faces and how her fighting back is her wasting her potential, the track offers an interesting commentary on her previous Reputation album. The "This is me trying" refrain certainly seems to be about this album and the verses seem to explore her relationship with pop and her previous work. If you care to read it this way, then it offers a lot more interesting depth than the suggested description of a failing relationship. But, in Swift fashion, the lyrics are so vague that she fails to commit to a direction and prefers to make the track as relatable as possible. It is one of the more interesting and musically pleasing songs on the album. (7)

Illicit affairs- It is about this point in the track list that the length of the album starts to take its toll, with one or two less tracks or something to alight this later half would have made the album feel less of a dredge. Discussing the highs and lows of infidelity, it offers a more full picture than any previous song she wrote about the subject, but this is still heavily tread ground for Swift. For that reason, its inclusion on the album is questionable. The "hood over your head, eyes to the ground" feels like cliched imagery and though it is used better than previous tracks, it doesn't go far enough or develop it further to warrant a retread of imagery. It's not bad, it just isn't a stand out as it is only a slightly better bog standard cheater song. (4)

Invisible string- This is one of the more detailed and interesting tracks on the album. A love song with a quaint chorus that is more nuanced than it has any right to be. "And it is just so pretty to think" is a beautiful encapsulation of why poetry and songs capture peoples emotions of love because sometimes the boring logical and realistic answers of life aren't pretty or exciting. And, then the cute description of a waitress almost recognising Swift while on a date; the song has the more personal flare to it that is desperately missing on many tracks. The production also supports the prettiness of the lyrics with a harp like string keeping the pace dancing along and adding a flurry of energy into the tracklist. Its got this swirling dream like energy to it that sells the meaning more so than other tracks. (8)

Mad woman- Another song where the folk aesthetic of the album holds the lyrics back; stripped production and vocals don't make songs more respectable if the lyrics deserve some bombast, drama or bite. Swift's lyrics are angry, yet she sings in her usual whisper tone that destroys any sense of emotion, again like looking back at memories without actually being there and feeling it. It's all a little too glossy, tight and restrained when it is crying for the production to be a little more manic, experimental and interesting. One could suggest the emotionless delivery is commentary on how women are expected to act stoic for fear of looking crazy, but complying with the sexist ideas is not the hot take Swift thinks it is. (3)

Epiphany- Easily the worst track on the album. Her elongated vocal delivery is irritating, infuriating and silly. "Some thing med school did not cover" comes across as incredibly cringe and weak because of the way Swift makes every word drag on as if it is lyrical mastery. It is meant to give off this dream like atmosphere as she discusses mental suffering and nightmares of war and violence, but it sounds silly; it's a good idea with an awkward execution. It is the longest track on the album but one with the least amount of lyrics as it is attempting tension and atmosphere, but gets tired and under baked. When the album is already at a very slow pace, having an even slower track near the end makes it feel like it will never end. (1)

Betty- In Swift's notes accompanying the album, she explains that this track is part of a three track love triangle. Unlike the other two tracks, this one needs the added explanation and homework to understand what is going on. A track should stand up on its own feet, whereas this is under baked with a chorus of "The worst thing I ever did was what I did to you" only being explained by listening to a different song. Here it just comes across as vague writing, so that listeners can project their own stories of disarray onto the lyrics and fill in the blanks. Again, the side story of believing Inez because this time she's telling the truth: about what Taylor? Give us details. The country inspired production is quaint but uninspired and uninteresting. It's not offensive, just dull and at track 14 it doesn't give worth to the wait. (3)

Peace- This feels like the end of the album as it brings back the clowns and robbers of previous tracks and accumulates all her insecurities of love into one tense track. It is reminiscent of Archer on Lover as the production works well to constantly build up the tension and keep you on edge waiting for a pay off that never comes. On a different Swift album, where she weren't restrained by the folk aesthetic, the final third of the song would have introduced a rumble of drums and it would have rose to a dramatic euphoria that would have hit the listener hard in the feels, it could have been a masterpiece. We are missing that here. Trying to maintain the restraint of the rest of the album leaves this track on the edge of greatness. It is beautiful and the outro feels like a great end, so the fact the album doesn't end here also cuts the song short of its potential. The pieces of perfection let down by the production. (6)

Hoax- The vocal on the verses feels child like as she influxes on every line which is a shame when the chorus seems to discuss someone on the edge of suicide because of a bad relationship. Again, the lyrics feel to be dramatic and tense yet Swift's vocals and the production are cutsey and whispering, and that opposition offers nothing interesting to the narrative. Also, the track offers nothing new and doesn't feel like a closing song, which is glaringly obvious when peace is right behind it. The flutter of violins in the later half offer some sense of drama, but go nowhere and tail out to keep the restraint feeling to the track. It is just an unnecessary addition to a bloated album as it is just the same retread of pensive melancholy done better in different songs. (3)