Album Review: Riot! by Paramore

Photo from Wikipedia

Words by: Reanna Simmons

Eight years ago was a good year for the alternative music scene. Eight years ago brought  Fall Out Boy’s Infinity On High to Foo Fighters’ Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, but eight brought us Paramore’s Riot!.

I would like to take sometime to reminisce Riot! was released on June 12th, 2007. Riot! brought us the neon orange, yellow, and red era. Riot! was the album that essentially put Paramore on the map. Riot! holds 11 tracks of pure emotion, and for those who want to get technical yes there are some bonus tracks/extended versions of the album as well. When Riot! was released I was finishing the fifth grade, and about a month later I was going to turn 11-years-old.  I was simply a child with good taste in music on the path to becoming a preteen not knowing that songs off the album were going to be that relatable as I got older. Emphasis on that. Now that I am a lot more older, and I look back from middle school to high school I can definitely agree that I’ve been apart of someone’s business of misery, but who didn’t?

The first single released off of Riot! was Misery Business, and most of all it’s a fan favorite. Misery Business has the most distinct opening. It sounds like it’s being played on a phonograph for a few seconds, and then you’re slapped in the face with the hit of Josh’s drums. “I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top …” When the video of Misery Business was released who didn’t want to have there hair like Hayley’s? Even now I wish I was gutsy enough to dye my hair as much as hers. The video shows a girl walking through the halls at school dressed in blue going around making everyone’s life miserable. You can see her chopping off a girl’s blonde braid to shoving a kid wearing a sling into a locker causing him pain. The girl in blue took enjoyment in everyone’s pain bringing them some good’ol Misery Business.          

Besides Misery Business there are some really great tracks off the album. My favorite off in particular is For A Pessimist  I’m Pretty Optimistic, and to me this song me that if you are going to say you’re going to give it your all then do it, don’t  run away, and hide in fear. Granted the lyrics sound like a song after breakup or a friendship that ended badly, but still. Another good track off the album is Let The Flames Begin. What I like the most about this track is the opening riff of the song. It’s unique. And what’s even better is that I’m almost 100% sure that Paramore did a sequel to this song off their self-titled album, but that could be just me being a Paramore fan with their theories; however, I did have my doubts. I wasn’t for sure for sure up until I saw the band play it at Monumentour last summer, and then it was confirmed. If you listen to Let The Flames Begin, and then Part II you would see what I mean. 

When Paramore brought Riot! to a close they released The Final RIOT! --- a live album. The live album gives us an intimate behind the scenes look of the band, and its members. Since it’s been eight wonderful years of Riot!. Not only as individuals, but as a band they’ve all come a long way, such as, two live albums, two studio albums (and one reissue of a studio album), a handful of tours, the loss of two of its original member, a short hiatus, and handful of rumors. Who knows how long Paramore will be, but I am just glad that as a band they’re still making music, and doing as much as they can. So here’s not only to Riot! turning 8-years-old, but here’s to Paramore!