‘evermore’
Taylor Swift’s surprise ninth album dropped December 11th. “evermore” broke records, but it’s one of her worst albums, in my opinion.
First, my general feelings:
Described as a sister album to “folklore,” “evermore” certainly does have much in common with its predecessor. Generally though, such comparisons only serve to make “folklore” look better: “evermore” is, undoubtedly, the ugly sister. Well, maybe not ugly — “evermore” doesn’t completely lack redeeming qualities — but “folklore” was objectively the better album.
My gut tells me that there is enough sonic cohesion and similar themes that there was potential for “evermore” to be good, but it just missed the mark. Yes, it tries to be about storytelling in the same way that “folklore” was, and that’s not entirely bad, but it feels like too much of a stretch. If I had to sum up the theme of what this album SHOULD have been in one word, that word would be “closure.” Yes, there is a track called “closure,” but that’s not why that word comes to mind: “closure” is the unacknowledged overarching theme of this album because the best songs are about making peace with turbulent pasts.
Song by Song:
I’ve given each song two ratings out of ten, the first rating is how I felt about it after the first time I listened to it, the second is how I feel about it now, a few weeks later and after dozens of listens.
“willow”: 7.5/10, 7/10
I think this was probably the best choice to start the album with. It’s a solid song, catchy and sweet. Although, as someone whose name escapes me pointed out, the lyric “lost in your current like a priceless wine” doesn’t really make any sense.
“champagne problems”: 6/10, 8/10
“champagne problems” is a very specific and I don’t suppose very many people are going to feel a direct connection to a called off engagement, but it really has some solid lyrics and a gripping story. You can almost imagine it being an alternate reality version of “All Too Well.” It certainly has a similar sound. Definitely works with the “closure” theme I mentioned.
“gold rush”: 5/10, 5.5/10
I expected this track to be my favorite, but it just isn’t. I expected something historical based on the title, and was left with something disappointingly metaphorical.
“‘tis the damn season”: 7/10, 6.5/10
This is another one that’s quite specific, but to the holidays rather than a called off engagement. It’s a relatable story about a desire to rekindle an old flame, though personally I find the temporary nature of the sought after relationship to be a little off putting on the grounds of its disingenuousness.
“tolerate it”: 7/10, 3/10
A real bore, if I’m being honest. I think my initial rating was based more on the expectation that it was going to be great because it was track five, but that’s simply not the case. Yes it’s sad, but it’s not as emotionally stirring as a track five is supposed to be. Sonically, it’s monotonous and certainly not the best track five candidate from the album.
“no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)”: 8/10, 5/10
People seem to like this one a lot, but I’m not the biggest fan. Yes it tells a fun story, but it’s very fictional and the music sounds a little… cliche. It sounds like something from the movie “Holes.”
“happiness”: 9.5/10, 9/10
All hail track seven, the track five of “evermore.” It’s emotionally gripping, not just sad for the sake of being sad. The pace is good, the lyrics are great. Best track on the album, no contest. It’s one of the only songs on this album that can hold it’s own with the rest of Taylor’s work. Fits beautifully with the “closure” theme.
“dorothea”: 5/10, 4/10
How many tracks do we need named after old ladies? This is filler.
“coney island”: 4/10, 3/10
Another song that, based on the title, had a lot of potential to tie in a cool historical element like “the last great american dynasty,” but it’s just another missed opportunity. It drones on, the national sucks, and it’s very forgettable. The most memorable line is a stupid one about a birthday cake in a hallway that’s completely out of place. You could argue that this goes well with the “closure” theme, though.
“ivy”: 6/10, 6.5/10
Not a bad song. It’s catchy and it tells an interesting story, but Taylor’s inner potty mouth really came out on this one. I’m not personally offended by swearing, but a lot of people are, and making the catchiest line of the song include the word “goddamn” for no reason is an interesting choice.
“cowboy like me”: 4/10, 3/10
This one is just monotonous and forgettable. Filler.
“long story short”: 6.5/10, 7/10
Definitely one of the better songs on the album. It’s upbeat and positive. Nothing super remarkable about it, though. This one also definitely works with the “closure” theme.
“marjorie”: 4/10, 5/10
Maybe I’m a dick for saying that I don’t like the song about Taylor’s dead grandmother, but I just don’t like it. It’s a sweet idea to have a recording of Marjorie herself singing in the background, though, so I’ll give it an extra point for that. Fits the theme.
“closure”: 5/10, 5/10
“closure” is alright. It isn’t my favorite, but I dare say it works with the theme.
“evermore”: 3/10, 3/10
I don’t like this one at all. The pacing is weird, and Taylor and Justin Vernon singing over each other was annoying and impossible to follow. Terrible choice for the album title based on how bad the song is. Maybe if you got rid of Bon Iver, this song could be better. I think it would actually still work as the album title if it sounded a little better, because I do think it fits with the “closure” theme.
“right where you left me”: 4/10, 5.5/10
This one is a little bit catchy, and it grew on me a little after the first time I heard it, but it also feels like filler. Probably why it ended up being a bonus track.
“it’s time to go”: 5/10, 6.5/10
This one is not bad. I don’t love it but I’m not mad that it exists, it could’ve been a nice addition to an album that wasn’t “evermore.” I can’t say exactly why, I just don’t think it fits here. Maybe a different version of “evermore” could’ve made it work: the version where the “closure” theme was properly recognized.
Final Notes
I don’t love the cover. The colors and the photography are nice, but a closeup shot of the back of her head is an odd shot to go with.
Unfortunately, this album just feels a bit aimless; I don’t know what it set out to accomplish. “folklore” was all about telling stories, and this one tells a few stories, but some of them feel manufactured just for the sake of calling this a sister album to “folklore.” The stories “evermore” tells weren’t stories that were dying to tell themselves.
Rather than writing a bunch of songs and then deciding which ones to form into two distinct albums, I get the impression that Taylor wrote “folklore,” saw how well received it was, and decided to just keep going. A bit like when a child tells a joke and makes the adults in the room laugh, so they quickly try to make up another joke to bag a few more laughs, and the adults are forced to awkwardly go along with it when really the joke is a real stretch and doesn’t make much sense. Taylor should have stopped after “folklore,” we didn’t need “evermore.” In my opinion, it’s an overcrowding addition to a distinct era that was doing just fine with one album.
If she did write all of the songs on “folklore” and “evermore” at the same time, she sure did arrange them in a weird manner between the two albums. If that’s the case, I think this project would’ve been better off as one album with a side A and side B, with about 12 songs per side.
I keep coming back to the closure theme. It seems like such a missed opportunity. Toss out a handful of the songs and then maybe add one or two more that work with the theme, and you could’ve had a great album.