On December 18, 2010, pop punk quintet Paramore were dealt a brutal blow. At the very peak of their powers, co-founding members Josh and Zac Farro announced that they were leaving. To make matters worse, they declared that the band were nothing more than a manufactured front for flame-haired singer Hayley Williams.

All the more inpressive then that their self-titled fourth record is such a defiant call to arms which sees Hayley, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Taylor York definitively come of age. A musically diverse, 17-track effort it showcases a band who have adopted a bigger, bolder approach.
Paramore is one of the best break-up records you’ll hear all year. Opening with the barbed punk-funk of ‘Fast In My Car,’ the band flirt with reggae and gospel (rospel?) on ‘Aint It Fun’, country music on the gorgeous ‘Hate To See Your Heart Break’, XTC-tinged new wave on ‘Now’ and 50s coffin rock on ‘(One Of Those) Crazy Girls’. There’s some bitter-sweet ukelele-led interludes threaded through the whole opus too.
Lyrically Williams doesn’t pull any punches either and there are plenty of barbs aimed at her detractors. Rather than being a pity party, lines like, ‘Let ‘em spill their guts/’Cos one day they’re gonna slip on ‘em’ from ‘Interlude: Moving On’ are laced with positivity – and tracks like ‘Still Into You’ and ‘Anklebiters’ are a starry-eyed joy to listen to. Your move Farro brothers...

Key Track: ‘Anklebiters’