Released: 2009

Genres: Pop Punk, Emo

The Musiquarium’s Brand New Eyes Review Score: 4/5

Rounding out their trilogy of pop punk/emo albums, Brand New Eyes finds Paramore at their most lyrically-mature and musically-impressive yet.

Careful is a strong opener with a typically powerful Hayley Williams performance. Brick By Boring Brick is a solid rocker. The Only Exception is an acoustic track that almost gives late nineties Radiohead vibes. The bonus track, Decode (found on the international editions of the album and originally from the soundtrack to the film, Twilight) is one of the best tracks on the album.

I didn’t find Brand New Eyes to be quite as memorable as RIOT!, but the band’s musicianship has tightened even more and they have continued to expand upon their sonic palette beyond the more conventional instrumentation of pop punk, so it can be argued that Brand New Eyes is a stronger album than its predecessor in certain regards.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Paramore on Discogs.

Back to the 2009 Album Guide or the Paramore Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard