First Look: Red by Taylor Swift

Disputably this fall's biggest album, Red from Taylor Swift, makes it's debut next Monday, but we've got the first look at this hot new album. Does it pale in comparison to Fearless and Speak Now, or surpass them? Read on to find out!

1. State of Grace - The album gets off one on of the best possible notes it can. Of the numerous singles released prior to the album's release, this one might be my favorite. It's got an epic feel to it that'll have her fans singing along in stadiums and for good reason. It's just such a good song, from the instrumentation to the lyrics (Swift's strongest suit) and the vocal delivery (pretty good here!). Great first song.

2. Red - This song flows pretty well from the first track. It is a little more pop (mostly the "Re-e-e-ed" refrain during the chorus) but that's okay. The lyrics here are good, but the best parts are the colors that Swift only uses in the chorus. If she had continued that trend throughout the verses, this song might have benefitted. Still, it's pretty good.

3. Treacherous - This is another song that shows Swift's growth as an artist in the country realm. It's got a very country feel to it that builds to something a little more. It's kinda alt-rock mixed with country and it's interesting. This track in particular is a change of pace from the first two tracks. If you can stick with the song through the build to the end, you'll be pleased with it as a whole.

4. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Probably the biggest departure from Swift's normal sound on this entire album, but I love it. The vocal delivery is just fine, and the lyrics are great, but of course the most interesting part of the song is the dubstep element, which works extremely well here. It shouldn't, but it does. While some may complain that it doesn't fit into Swift's style, I'm not one to believe in pigeonholing an artist, and no one is going to argue that other twenty-something artists are underusing dubstep. It's a favorite for me.

5. All Too Well - A song that gets to show off Swift's lyricism, here's another track with country influences in an otherwise alt-rock setting. It's a sound that Swift is pulling off very well on this album. I think a lot of people complained that Swift was going severely pop music with this album, but tracks like this just show that she's switching up her sound and it's working out in her favor.

6. 22 - Swift's attempt to write a song NOT about an ex-boyfriend and it's...half successful. She's still singing to some guy, so it doesn't work entirely well, but as far as the song itself, it's another experiment  like I Knew You Were Trouble. This one is extremely poppy, but the relatable lyrics for the just barely legal crowd will make this one an anthem for sure. The lyricism present in the previous song is pretty much gone here with very innocent lyrics, and she still manages to make a song about being 22 without mentioning drugs, sex, and alcohol (take note, pop stars of today!).

7. I Almost Do - The country Swift you remember is back in this track. It's strictly country, no hint of any other genre.  It's the first real ballad on the album and it's good, my only complaint being that the lyrics aren't as strong here as in other songs ("Every I don't, I almost do." Um.), but it's a good song anyway.

8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Do we really need to go over this one? The pop sound makes more sense when it's accompanied by other poppy tracks here. It works for me, so...that's that.

9. Stay Stay Stay - Still carrying the light air of the previous track, but with a completely different message: this time Swift is begging her man to stick by her side. The clap-along chorus is cute enough, and the entire song is for that matter. It's light and airy, and it reminds me of some of Swift's younger songs. It's got an Ingrid Michaelson feel to it, and that's good to me.

10. The Last Time - Fans might be caught off guard at first when the song opens up with a male voice. That's Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol, and that makes this the album's first duet. It's an interesting song. It's a little darker and you can hear some of the influences from Lightbody's band. The build to the end is highly rewarding. This is another deviance from the country genre, and it still works well.

11. Holy Ground - A jump back into upbeat. This song was produced by Jeff Bhasker who produced fun.'s album Some Nights, and that might explain why I'm digging this sound. Additionally, it's a Swift solo write, and those songs tend to have a special something to them. This one has a little electronic sound to it, and it's pretty funky. If anything, this one is a surefire toe-tapper.

12. Sad Beautiful Tragic - Going with the pattern of the album, we're slowing things down with this one. It's the most mellow song on the album. It's mostly just a strumming guitar and Swift's haunting vocals. It's the most simplistic song on the album and that's a welcome change of pace after earlier pop-heavy songs.

13. The Lucky One - Alright, this one is just kinda boring for me. It's rather plain and not in a good way. The lyrics are just alright. This one is filler for me.

14. Everything Has Changed - This is the much hyped duet between Taylor and Ed Sheeran and of course it does not disappoint. As an Ed fan, I can certainly pick up on his influence here. The "know you better" repeat reminds me of songs like "Give Me Love" from his album, +. The kick drop beat at the chorus is very...him. So, yeah, I really like it. And any exposure for Ed is fine by me.

15. Starlight - Yeah I like this one. It's got a good feel to it. It's apparently about the Kennedys (she's dating one of them, so why not write a song about their family?). It's got a really cool feel to it, despite being about the 40s and sounding very 90s. There's something about it, I don't mind it at all.

16. Begin Again - Probably my least favorite of the singles released before the album's release, but not bad at all. My only qualm is that I'm not sure I understand why this song is the last track on the album. Maybe because it's "begin again" shows "moving on" which Taylor said (very early in the process) was the theme of this album. It's a mellow note to end the album, but then again, T. Swift has been partial to these kinds of songs ending albums (Long Live, anyone?).

So the final conclusion? Well, I can't say right now where this album ranks compared to her others, mostly because it is a big departure in sound, but Taylor is right in place with these changes. The album works very well as a mix of many different genres. I think fans will eat this right up because there is enough to appease everyone here.

Favorite songs: State of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble., All Too Well, Everything Has Changed

What do you think? Liking this new T. Swift? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Evan

We Need to Talk

Hi everyone,

If you're still visiting the blog, I hope you read this. As you can tell, I've been crazed. College has finally hit me head on and I'm busy 95% of the time. Unfortunately, that leaves me very little room for the blog. As much as I enjoy writing and putting it out there, it's very hard to find time to write about these things. I'm going to try to update as much as I can, but it's very hard with the overwhelming load I have. I hope you can understand :)

Evan

First Listen: Halcyon by Ellie Goulding

One of my most anticipated albums of the fall is almost here! Ellie Goulding, hot off the success of Lights this summer, is back this fall with her second studio album, Halcyon, and I have the first listen. Check it out!

1. Don't Say a Word - The song has a tribal feel to it and it's an energetic start to the album. The first minute or so is a bunch of "ooh"-ing and very little instrumentation, before it jumps into the driving drum beat. It sounds like a Florence + the Machine song, always a compliment. It's just eerie enough to draw the listener's interest and gives a good indication of what's to come, although Ellie fans know that it is truly impossible to label her music.

2. My Blood - Ellie's personal favorite on the album, and it's not hard to see why. The verses are poignant, but understated. Then comes the soaring chorus, which features great vocals from Ellie and shout-worthy refrains. The instrumentation sounds light, but is actually quite heavy. It's clear this one will be a favorite among fans.

3. Anything Could Happen - The first official single from the album, it takes some time to get used to, but it's insanely catchy and danceable. While the lyrics are a little hard to symbolically decipher, they're easy to sing along to. It's a shame this song hasn't caught on at radio like Lights has, but there's still hope, especially with the full album coming out next week.

4. Only You - The pulsating drums drive the beginning of this song and it sounds a lot different than the beginning of this album. This one is definitely one to dance to. The pounding piano during the chorus reminds me a bit of the piano from Rolling in the Deep, and it's my favorite part. Ellie's vocals start off soft and then go to full belt by the end of the song. This one is more direct at the scorned ex unlike My Blood, which makes it just a little more fun.

5. Halcyon - This one has a signature Ellie touch on it. It could have simply been guitar and piano, but those light, airy electronic noises make it sound like an Ellie sound. Her shivering vocals sound great here. This one just makes you feel good, but maybe that's just the repeated refrain of "It's gonna be better." This one is just very light, it's a good change.

6. Figure 8 - Speaking of change, this one is the most drastic departure from the album. Before this song, I didn't love dubstep. But this might be my favorite song on the album. The verses are dark and intense and when the beat finally drops on the chorus, it's just awesome. It's a true jam and if all dubstep was like this, I would jump on the bandwagon immediately. Love this song.

7. Joy - Following Figure 8, we get a huge step back. Joy is a really reserved ballad that shows hints at growing, but stays right where it's at. Honestly, that's okay because it works really well by being understated and calming. And that's really what this song is: calming. It works being placed here.

8. Hanging On - When Ellie released this song as a promo single this summer, fans cried foul when they heard Tinie Tempah's rap verse, which didn't entirely mesh into the song that well. So it's a huge welcome that the album version is without Tinie. With that aside, this song is really freaking awesome and the dubstep incorporation is pretty cool.

9. Explosions - Apparently (maybe), this is the second official single from the album, but maybe that's internationally, maybe not. Anyway, this is another ballad, but unlike Joy, it builds, and that's what gives this one the edge. It really is beautiful, starting with the simple piano line, and the lyrics, helping a friend out with a rough time, are pretty universal. Maybe this could work as a second single...

10. I Know You Care - Okay, I take it back, this is the most reserved ballad on the album. A repeating piano line, some "ah"s and a simple chorus, that's all it takes. But it works. It's a pretty sad piece of music (it's currently being used in a movie about childhood cancer), but it's effective. It doesn't slow down the album too much.

11. Atlantis - A much needed pick-up. It's got an infectious "Where'd you go?" earworm and an easy beat that still doesn't make this song a ballad, but more of a mid-tempo jam. It's brighter than the previous track, which is much needed to make sure the album doesn't go tired.

12. Dead in the Water - A pretty sad and somber end to this album. Well, "unofficial" end. This is where the official version of the album ends, even though the official version also includes two bonus tracks, and the deluxe version includes much more than that. Anyway, this song is completely sad and kind of turns the end of this album on it's head. It leaves you thinking, though, so maybe that's what the idea behind making this the last track was.

13. I Need Your Love - Technically, this is Calvin Harris' song featuring Ellie Goulding, but it gets to be on her album a month before his album comes out. Hooray! This song could very well end up being Ellie's next big club hit and it's not even her own song. It's the most danceable song on this disc, but Ellie's songs are only really club-ready after they've been remixed. No remix needed here, unless that remix is an extended version because this song almost feels too short to truly enjoy. Hence, it sticks on repeat...alot. Catchy, love it.

14. Hanging On (feat. Tinie Tempah) - I already discussed this above, but if you like the rap verse, this is your version. If not, skip it.

15. Lights - Included for the US fans who worship this song, not much needs to be said that hasn't already been stated.

16. Ritual - A tribal beat to go with a song called Ritual? Coincidence...I think not. Anyway, this song is a jam, at least given that driving beat. It's a lot different from the rest of the album, perhaps sounding most like Don't Say a Word. It's interesting...cool harmonies, really cool instrumentation and Ellie's vocals are spot-on.

17. In My City - This is another up-tempo one as Ellie talks about what she loves about her hometown: it's like an upbeat Hometown Glory (shoutout to original Adele fans!). Still, this one is mostly pretty fun because it's got a good beat and it's easy to sing along to. It's easy to understand, though, why it made the deluxe version only.

18. Without Your Love - Another song with really cool instrumentation and a cool chorus ("Without your love, I'm getting somewhere"). I think the reason Ritual and this song made the deluxe version is because they don't mesh very well with the overall sound of the album. Still, it's a fun song and it shows Ellie moving on, a fitting end to an album.

Favorite tracks: My Blood, Only You, Figure 8, Hanging On, I Need Your Love

What do you think, readers? Have you heard the album and do you love it? I sure do! Let me know your thoughts and favorite tracks in the comments section below!

Evan

Where Have You Been?

I know it is the question on everyone's mind, so I figured I would put you at ease! It was Parents and Families Weekend here at Penn State, so I spent the past three days with my mom and dad, showing them around, going out to dinner and getting to sleep in an extra bed at their hotel room (yay for showers without flip-flops!). Tonight was also the Homecoming concert at PSU, so that's where I've been since Thursday. I'm trying to keep a good balance of everything and schoolwork is always a first, but I love writing for this blog, so I'll definitely be back in full force this week! Hope you'll be ready :)

Evan