Paramore has blessed us once again with a new album release titled This is Why. The band capitalizes on a softer sound, sounding elegant and smooth all the while maintaining the edge Paramore has been known for all their career. The penultimate song from the record, titled ‘Crave’, is not only a brilliant single on its own, but a wonderful way to prepare the album’s sendoff.

The song has a very strong indie-rock vibe from the moment it begins. A soft ride-groove carries high-points of the song for most of it. Supplemented by acoustic guitars strumming in the distance, with electric guitars highlighting the instrumental melody, it bears a resemblance to a modernized take of Stevie Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac. The verses are soft and cozy, a perfect bed to launch the more energetic chorus which sees the singer reach the upper range of her chest voice. The melodies sung here are infectious, surely to be stuck in your head for days to come.

Something to note from this track is the production – while ‘Crave’ has a very minimalistic approach to its mixing, it’s old timey especially in the ways the instrumentation is spaced. Each instrument, save for the drums, feel like they are very purposely positioned in a way to surround the listener in sound. Certain instruments, such as a plucking electric guitar, only belong to the left channel, while other synths sit comfortably on the other side.

‘Crave’ is a warm song, one that will satisfy both previous fans of Paramore and newer listeners. The chorus shows a shadow of the harder side of the band, but the sound portrayed both in this track and the rest of the album is a welcomed one, which only begs to see what Paramore has in store for their future.

Author: Phil Arnold

Phil Arnold is a musician, producer and music reviewer from Devon, in the South West of England. Whilst not writing music reviews, Phil also writes and records under the name of Ugbrooke.