Riot!
Hayley Williams gives Riot! a voice that can move from a sharp accusation to an open, soaring melody without losing its character. Paramore build the songs to meet that range. The guitars are bright and forceful, the drums keep pushing, and the choruses arrive with a clear sense of occasion.
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic wastes little time establishing the scale. Williams sounds confident even when the words describe disappointment. The band give her enough movement underneath to make the vocal feel part of a performance rather than a spotlight placed over a backing track.
That's What You Get is the strongest example of that teamwork. Its rhythm has a useful bounce, the guitar parts leave room for the melody, and the chorus opens naturally out of the verse. The song carries a lot of excitement without making every moment equally loud. Hallelujah is more openly grand, with the singing doing much of the work of justifying its title.
Misery Business has an undeniable musical charge. Its quick changes, cutting guitar line and emphatic vocal make it difficult to ignore. The romantic victory described in the words is a less appealing part of the package, with a cruel view of another woman narrowing the song's perspective. The performance is strong enough to make that limitation more noticeable, rather than erase it.
The quieter sadness of When It Rains gives the album a necessary change in feeling. Williams can communicate uncertainty without abandoning the strength of her voice. Later, Fences brings a lighter, more flexible rhythm into the sequence, showing how well the band can work outside a constant forward rush.
Some of the other tracks have less individual shape, and the intensity occasionally becomes the expected answer to every problem. Yet Riot! earns much of its excitement through clear melodic writing and committed playing. Its youthful certainty can be uncomfortable, but the skill behind that certainty makes the album far more interesting than a simple burst of attitude.
