Paramore - 'Hallelujah'
I'm considering my words very carefully for this review, judging by the drama that occurred when Hazel R (correctly, in my opinion) suggested in her review for 'Misery Business' that the song was a tad misogynistic. WHOA THERE, SAILOR! I'm not dredging that argument up again, it's water under the bridge. Let's just focus on the task at hand here, shall we?
(Although I can't help noticing that drama seems to follow this lot around, since pretty much every YouTube video I looked up had someone innocently commenting to ask if they were a Christian rock band and promptly being shot down in flames by people who appear to equate Christian rock with the practice of using newborn babies as rugby balls or something.)
This may be foolish of me, but I do feel the need to at least pay lip service to the Woman As Frontperson In Otherwise Male Band factor, something that I encountered frequently during my misspent teenage years when I wondered precisely why the NME had such a problem with Louise Wener and what was wrong with being a Sleeperbloke anyway.
It's odd that it still feels like something of a novelty even a decade later; or at least something that demands attention in some form. For my money, women have always made more charismatic frontpeople than men anyway, and it's not like anyone really pays attention to the rest of the band unless they're Pete Wentz. Perhaps I'm wrong.
Incidentally, before anyone comes at me with flaming pitchforks, I'm not suggesting that this is some kind of deliberate attention-seeking strategy by Paramore, just idly ruminating on the way that the media tends to get overexcited about frontladies in a way that it hasn't really done about frontmen for a long time. A situation which this paragraph has essentially just perpetuated, so there you go.
Anyway, vague accusations of music journo misogyny aside, is this song any good? Well, it is and it isn't, and I'm absolutley SURE of this. It's pleasingly punchy and scuzzy, and does that thing that rock bands do where they want you to see their sensitive side but absolutely insist on encapsulating it in a fierce-as-weaves set of riffs just so you definitely can't use the word "snuggly" when describing it. The vocals have a frustrating tendency to shout when singing would be more satisfactory, but I do like the way that Hayley seems to pronounce "Hallelujah" as "Hayleylujah" - and why not, eh? If I could fit my name into a song, I'd do it too, just for giggles.
Reservations: I anticipate much scorn for this, but something about this song feels quite Avril Lavigne-y. I don't know if it's Hayley's voice, or if it's just a general attitude, but I can't shake that feeling, and it belittles the song a bit. I wanted more rawness than I got; a little more daring, a little less affectation. And, considering what I mentioned earlier about my years with Girls In Indie back in the mid-'90s, I'm not hearing anything here that I didn't hear in countless variations ten years ago.
Not an outright criticism, because originality isn't mandatory; it's merely encouraged. It's not that I consider this a bad song - indeed, I quite like it and would listen to it voluntarily with no fuss whatsoever. It just - to finish on a fittingly sexist note - doesn't have the balls I think it ought to have had.
Download: Out now
CD Released: September 3rd
(Steve Perkins)
Comments
I love this song! I also love the way Hayley sings Hallelujah. She's sort of singing it as if it's the one word you MUST remember - even if you forget the rest of the lyrics.
PS. this is now out 10 September.
This song is a grower for sure. I was slightly dissapointed when I first heard it as I felt it was nowhere near as good as Misery Business, but after a few listens I'm starting to really like it.
Wish I could put my name in a song, 'Jamielujah'? I think it has a nice ring to it. No? Oh alright then.
Saffron Republica could well beat up Hayley Williams.
Hayley does remind me of Avril Lavigne a bit, but I hate Avril and I like Hayley, cause the songs and their personalities are kinda very different. But then again, 'girlfriend' and 'misery business' are sorta similar in some parts when you think about it....both about getting a guy off another girl really. Anyway....i can't really imagine hayley singing 'hey hey you you, i don't like your girlfriend' can you? Meh.
Rachel
xxxxx
Three stars! Its should be at least a 4 star song. I really liked Misery Business and Paramore, and this song is really good, and sounding like Avril Lavigne isn't a bad thing either
NAH. DONT THINK SO MATE.
I Brought there album and i dont think ive ever listened to any more in my life, i loved this song i love there whole album, one of the best songs ive ever heard.
the band are just amazing!
xx
this band is wickid love them to pieces
I have loved this band since i heard their first single off of their first album and i dont think you can really appreciate the power of Hayley Williams' voice unless you have seen her live and have been a fan of herself and the band for longer than the release of Misery Business.
I remember when i first heard this song before it was put on this album and had been jazzed up. It was the song that made you realise this girl actually has this velocity of sound that you dont hear anymore she doesnt need the help of editing to blow you away. Avril lavigne is nothing compared to Hayley Williams, You see there is one main difference between the two and that is...
HAYLEY CAN SING AND AVRIL CAN'T!
Hayley Williams has one of the best voices in modern music, and i don't think anyone can fully appreciate the power of her voice until you see her live. Paramore are an awesome band, what sets Hayley apart from pop singers like Avril Lavigne is that she is actually immensely talented and they haven't sold out from their debut in order to have chart success!!
by the way ya wonna sort it out its gag gag gag
by the way ya wonna sort it out its gag gag gag