Paramore Comes Off Smelling Like a Rose For Its Latest

If you take nothing else away from Paramore's new effort "Rose-Colored Boy", let that something be that vocalist Hayley Williams isn't going to smile if she doesn't want to. Hard to see how she could avoid the terminal cutes with a beat drenched in the keenest rays of sunshine, quite possibly Paramore's lightest confection to date. Hayley killed off what was left of the optimist in her. After all we can't wear rose-colored glasses all the time. Not with the evil circling the world from Manchester to Paris. Anyhow the overall mood doesn't hesitate to be beguiling which makes Hayley the consummate killjoy. Zac Faro kicks up quite the cloud of dust on drums. That lends some much appreciated spark to the tune, some gumption that Hayley already had in spades but its nice to hear other band members like Zac hold up their end of the load. Hayley is so tired of people going on about the world that they'd like to see rather than the unflinching reality of the world before them. Taylor York tosses in some warmth on guitar, again running counter to Hayley's message of accepting what is instead of humoring the fantasy ideal. Pace wise this proceeds at a likable trot, the better to enjoy the ins and outs of a track that won't leave you depressed for weeks on end. Hayley has been a vocalist heavy on spunk since the days of the "Riot" LP. Time has been truly good to her despite the usual band lineup shifts and other assorted pieces pf sturm und drang that follow most rock groups around like a dark lingering shadow. Hayley has been the constant and, for rock lovers everywhere, that's highly great news. She has shown herself to be one of the women on the short list of best femme rock vocalists of the still fairly new 21st century. This for all the world sounds like prime tune temptation best enjoyed sunning on Lake Travis during a gorgeous sunny afternoon. Beach balls anyone? Hayley goes on about raging wars and breaking hearts set to an aesthetic that's far removed from grim world events. Hayley wants to be left to engage in her pity party a bit longer and who are we to stop her. The girl knows what she wants and knows how to speak up about it. "Rose-Colored Boy" lives up to its name offering up sweet smelling melody and enough room to smell the roses hidden in the title. Bonus points for making reality sound so polished like a newly cut diamond. The polish is infectious and will linger in your brain for weeks after listening. This rose is a welcome addition to the current rock landscape.