A track-by-track review of Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’
139 days.
That’s how long it’s been since Taylor Swift dropped her surprise album, “Folklore,” over the summer. Thursday morning, Swift announced a “sister album” named “Evermore” would be released that night.
According to Swift’s posts on social media, she said, “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs.”
“Folklore” marked a departure from the pop sound Swift had been producing in recent years and delved into more mature themes and tastes of indie rock and folk. “Evermore” continues to explore this new sound.
For her previous record, Swift teamed up with Aaron Dessner of indie rock band The National, longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. On her new album, these collaborations continue, with nearly every song produced by Dessner. On three tracks, The National, Bon Iver and HAIM feature as guest artists.
The album kicks off with a guitar and piano-powered love song, “Willow.” Swift sings to about her dedication to a lover with lyrics like “I’m begging for you to take my hand. Wreck my plans, that’s my man.” This first song is very similarly sonically to “Folklore” and sets the tone for the album.
“Champagne Problems” finds Swift in a piano ballad. The melodic line keeps Swift in the lower part of her register, which suits her and the song well. Flourishes like breathy layered vocals in the middle section reminiscent of Enya and a small piano run at the end make for an interesting listen.
“Gold Rush” is the closest to a pop song on the album, which makes sense as it is in the only song that Swift and Antonoff worked on by themselves. The piano backing provides a dynamic bed of sound and is similar to “Death By a Thousand Cuts” from Swift’s “Lover” album in that regard.
“‘Tis the Damn Season” takes the album into a rock feel. An electric bass riff and syncopated, sparse percussion moves this track along. From what I can tell, there are no Christmas connections here, unless being drawn back to your hometown love is your type of Christmas song. Honestly, that’s what most Hallmark Christmas movies are. So maybe it is a Christmas song?
“Tolerate It” has some of the most heartbreaking lyrics on the album. In a chat on YouTube, Swift said, “I decided on track five because of the lyrics of ‘tolerate it’ and how it’s so visual, and conveys such a specific kind of hurt.” She aims the song at a partner who is indifferent toward Swift’s love. “I know my love should be celebrated, But you tolerate it” and “Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life” are just two of my favorite lines.
“No Body, No Crime,” featuring HAIM, is the closest Swift gets to a country song on this album and is meant for true crime fans. The story follows the story of Este, who was killed by her husband, but no one can prove it. As the song progresses, however, the singer becomes more involved in a crime of retribution. It’s a fun track, if also a little dark.
“Happiness” is not happy. It is pretty, though. And that’s all you need to know about that.
“Dorothea” is more upbeat than the entirety of “Folklore” and appears to be a love song between young lovers who are separated with time. Much like “Betty” on the last album, it is somewhat unclear who Swift’s character is in this song.
“Coney Island,” featuring The National, is a shining example of the magic Dessner have produced over these two albums. Swift shines when she sings duets. The National lead singer Matt Berninger and Swift match perfectly, trading off lines and harmonizing. The instrumentals are also fantastic here. One of my top tracks, for sure.
“Ivy” is a fun, upbeat track about infidelity. You know. That jolly topic. The strings, banjo and tambourine in this song are all perfectly mixed and give the song just the buoyancy it needs.
“Cowboy Like Me” is, surprisingly, not really a country song. Folk and Americana? Sure. But country? No. One highlight from this song is backing vocals from Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons. There’s also a pretty sweet electric guitar solo from either Dessner or Vernon of Bon Iver (both are credited for the guitar).
“Long Story Short” has one of my favorite endings of any track on the album. Swift closes the song with: “Long story short, it was a bad time. Long story short, I survived.” If that’s not 2020 vibes, I don’t know what is.
“Marjorie” is a tender song about Swift’s deceased grandmother, much like “epiphany” on the last record was about her grandfather. Swift sings about feeling her grandmother still speaking to her and being with her, even now. Even though it’s not logical, her grandmother still has an influence in her daily life. It’s a heartfelt song in the vein of “Soon You’ll Get Better” and “Never Grow Up.”
“Closure” is definitely the most experimental track. It begins with a super distorted drum machine and some synths that peek in and out of the soundscape. There is also a computerized effect used on vocal harmonies, which is reminiscent of Bon Iver’s recent work. The driving piano riff and melodic rhythm keep you slightly off-balance. While the song is still pretty conservative in its sound, it is interesting to hear Swift exploring some unique sounds.
Justin Vernon’s voice is too powerful for his own good. “Evermore” sees the return of Bon Iver for a second round, following “Exile” on the “Folkore” album. While I personally prefer “Exile,” it’s not to say “Evermore” is bad. I got goosebumps while listening, and Vernon’s falsetto is just as great as his lower register.
First Impressions
With “Evermore” coming out less than five months after “Folklore,” it’s hard not to compare the two albums. While I did like many of the tracks on “Evermore,” I think “Folklore” was better as an album. The previous album had more of a flow and seemed a bit more cohesive. Because Dessner is the producer on nearly every track, the sound doesn’t change a lot over the album. As a Taylor Swift fan, however, I will never complain about more music. There are some outstanding examples of Swift and Dessner’s songwriting here, and it’s the perfect soundtrack for what could be a long and dark winter.
I am interested to see where Swift moves on from here. Will she take elements from her most recent albums into her future work or will we go back to bubblegum pop Taylor Swift? If she releases another album next month (which, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised at this point), I’ll be here to share my thoughts.
—alek.nelson@usu.edu
@nelsonalek