ATP! Album Review: Paramore - After Laughter

We’ve been patiently awaiting this album for years now, and Paramore certainly did not disappoint. Further departing from their early pop-rock/emo beginnings, After Laughter is full-on glossy 80s pop. And it’s awesome.

The sound is exactly what you would expect if you looked at the bright colors of the album cover. But the title, After Laughter, hints at something darker. That’s where the lyrics come in. “Caught In The Middle” features the lyrics, “I don’t need no one else, I can sabotage me by myself,” while the chorus of the funky “Fake Happy” starts with, “Oh please don’t ask me how I’ve been, don’t make me play pretend.”


Hayley Williams just further proves how much range that magical voice of hers has, elevating every song on the album, no matter what kind of sound it has. She sounds just as flawless on the acoustic “26” as she does belting away on other tracks. Taylor York and Zac Farro’s contributions don’t go unnoticed, either. They give these upbeat tracks their character and it all melds together perfectly.

It’s hard to pick a standout track on an album this fabulous. Honestly, it’s hard to find fault with many of the tracks. The only odd track is “No Friend,” featuring mewithoutYou vocalist Aaron Weiss on vocals, with Williams nowhere to be found. It’s an interesting take as a kind of response to “Idle Worship,” but it feels a bit awkward with the flow of the album.


Overall, though, it’s awesome to continue to see Paramore grow as musicians. Throughout lineup changes and the issues they’ve had, it’s inspiring to see them continuing on and making more amazing music. The balance of upbeat music and darker lyrics offers a great dynamic. If this is a taste of the future of Paramore, we can’t wait to see what’s going to come next.

4.5/5

Words by Lauren Jones