All We Know Is Falling
Paramore ;; 2005
I’ve always seen debut albums as the best record a band could ever release. These are perfect examples of just how fresh, how new and how filled with potential a band can be. And All We Know Is Falling, Paramore’s incredible debut, is a perfect example.
As opposed to Riot!, All We Know is a lot more rock-inclined. Riot! had a mixture of pop and rock tunes, which could appeal to fans of either genre, but it didn’t have the impact that the debut had successfully given me.
All We Know is considerably shorter than Riot!, and that may be because Paramore was just starting out then, and had been affected by Jeremy Davis’ leaving of the band (rejoining them later in Paramore’s career, but losing Jason Bynum in the process). But really, All We Know doesn’t need two, three, four or even six more tracks (although that could’ve helped the record, seeing that it’s only about thirty-six minutes long) to lengthen it’s appeal, but the ten-track album is just right and easy to listen to. Plus, it’s only a short album, so those who don’t have the patience to listen to ridiculously records are in for a treat – All We Know Is Falling is filled with clever lyrics, great guitar and drumwork, formidable bass lines and sharp vocals squeezed into one little package.
Listening to the album, I found the first track (All We Know) a bit loud and angst-filled for an opening. Usually, those with intros that burn in my mind are my style, so it wasn’t really special, but still impressive. Fortunately for me (and maybe for a million other listeners out there), the following songs are more than special. Hayley Williams’ ear-catching vocals are like several scoops of ice cream on a hot summer’s day – refreshing, revitalizing, and definitely a stand-out from all the other thick, low-registered male voices. From the first single, Pressure, to the catchier Here We Go Again and even the fan-favorite My Heart, she exceeds all expectations and proves that girls can equal (and maybe do even better) than boys.
Halfway through the album, I’ve come to a realization – Paramore is unlike any other band out there. I never was the one to be patient and listen to girls trying their best to blend their soft little voices with the loud, rock-out sounds of the electric guitar and the bass guitar. Often, it irritates me that they do so. But Paramore seems to know what they’re doing – from chords, to drums, everything. I didn’t see anything wrong in the record. Absolutely nothing. And I didn’t skip a track of it (another thing different from Riot!).
All We Know Is Falling, if summed up in one word, is amazing. Starts out to be guitar and drum-heavy with angsty and nicely-crafted lyrics, and ends with heart-tugging rock ballads complete with background screaming. A lot of people have already said that there’s a lot of time for Paramore to improve, considering their age and the years they’re active. But personally, improvement isn’t really what I’m looking for. All We Know Is Falling is like “first love never dies”, and I’m only looking for Paramore to expand on their effort and bring out a new record as amazing as (or maybe even more than) the debut.
