Paramore should have split up in 2010. The band’s instrumental core — guitarist Josh Farro and brother Zac — called it quits in a blog that went straight for singer Hayley Williams’ throat. Josh accused Williams of treating Paramore like a solo project and chastised her band mates for “riding on the coattails of her dream.”

The band trucked on without them: Rhythm guitarist Taylor York got promoted to lead and drummer Ilan Rubin filled in behind the kit. The Farros moved on to a new project, Novel American, a band exactly no one has heard from.

Fast-forward to 2013 and it probably really sucks to be the Farro brothers right now. “Paramore” is a hulking 17-track comeback album out to prove that, with the Farro brothers or not, Williams and company still have the chops — and the balls — to be pop-rock behemoths.

Gone is the venom and rampant teen angst from Paramore’s 2007 breakout record, “Riot!”. Fans angling for an heir to “Misery Business” or “crushcrushcrush” won’t find it here. The self-titled album’s bitterest cuts — songs “Now” and short, fast and loud “Anklebiters,” especially — feel woefully out of place on a confectionary pop record with an eye on Top 40 charts.

Where first single “Now” is an aggressive slice of 90s-influenced radio rock, second single “Still Into You” pulls a 180 on fans. Stuffed full with sugary sweet vocals and hooks, Williams shines on the tune, belting out a chorus that swoops over punchy guitar riffs. It’s a cutesy love song — a far cry from Paramore’s almost b*tchy “Misery Business.”

But this is Paramore in 2013, a band that’s unabashedly happy with spinning pop tunes.

Sometimes, though, it feels like Paramore overdoses on sappiness. Three ukulele-strumming interludes (“Moving On,” “Holiday” and “I’m Not Angry Anymore”) feel sort of kitschy, and closer “Future” tries a little too hard to be epic, rampaging through almost eight minutes of mostly instrumentals.

When Paramore is on point, the band bottles lightning. “Ain’t It Fun” takes a kitchen-sink approach, mingling marimbas, a gospel choir and a jaunty guitar riff. It’s a quick standout in the band’s discography, and Williams turns in a vocal performance that’s equal parts unmatched and love struck.

The band still shines when it backs away from the over-glossed sheen of “Ain’t It Fun” and “Still Into You,” seamlessly sliding into bouts of good, old-fashioned pop-rock. “Daydreaming” is a toe-tappingly catchy number with a powerhouse chorus, and album opener “Fast In My Car” could pose as a Cars B-side without so much as a second glance.

“Paramore” isn’t an album that begs to be listened to in one sitting. It doesn’t demand your full attention at all times. With 17 songs cluttering the run time, there’s bound to be filler — the interludes, schizophrenic “(One of Those) Crazy Girls,” Taylor Swift-y “Hate To See Your Heart Break.” It’s inescapable.

But there’s one thing this album isn’t, and that’s a one-dimensional Hayley Williams solo project.

Guitarist Taylor York goes on a tour de force on the record’s rockers, slinging his axe with pomp on “Grow Up” and the back half of “Part II,” Paramore’s spiritual successor to fan favorite “Let The Flames Begin.” And although he’s not technically a band member, drummer Ilan Rubin pounds the skins with ferocity and precision.

Fans (and Farros) who expected 17 tracks of the Hayley Williams show will be left sorely disappointed; “Paramore” is a wholly collaborative effort at heart. Yes, Williams shines and proves she’s got a lot left in the tank — both as a songwriter and singer — but the band mates she has left are more than competent.

Paramore didn’t set out to write a sequel to “Riot!”. Hell, their most profitable record was the one that almost blew up the band. But for all of its mainstream leanings and ploys for the Top 40, “Paramore” is exactly what a self-titled album should be: a mission statement for the band that penned it.

So what is Paramore’s mission statement? Staying true to its songwriting, pop-punk or not.

Published on April 9, 2013 at 1:16 am

Contact Erik: [email protected] | @therealvandyman