Album Review: folklore - Taylor Swift

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Taylor Swift’s career “started”. Even upon the release of her self-titled debut album in 2006, Swift had established a fanbase and following which led that project to top the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart for over six months. Swift has never feared evolving, as each of her subsequent releases pleased fans while also experimenting with different genres and sounds. After the release of her critically-acclaimed album Lover in 2019, I expected Taylor Swift to continue her successes in the radio-friendly pop variety, emulating and releasing more songs like “ME!” and “You Need To Calm Down”. The title track from that project, “Lover”, went slightly against the grain in that regard, providing more of a ballad with a focus on songwriting and lyricism than pop appeal, which I suppose now was a sign of things to come. It was to my surprise when Swift announced on Instagram yesterday that she would be releasing her eighth studio album folklore at midnight. The title and aesthetic of the album’s rollout intrigued me, as it seemingly hinted at an indie folk sound which Swift hasn’t yet explored in her discography. On my first listen, I knew this project was different than anything she had released yet, and that Taylor Swift’s maturation as a singer-songwriter was clear. This is a great project.

The opening track, “the 1”, continues Swift’s themes of could-have-been relationships and regrets, but in a reinvented style, with a focus on creative writing and storytelling. The opening lines “I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit” are an immediate indication that Swift fully recognizes and is embracing her reinvented image and sound, which is more revealing and personal than usual for her. The sentimentality of this track foreshadows the downtrodden and sometimes eery mood this project creates and gets things off to a mellow but strong start. “cardigan”, the album’s second song, wears its Lana Del Rey influence clearly and confidently on its sleeve, especially with lines like “To kiss in cars and downtown bars / Was all we needed”. I can see this being a huge radio-hit, and one I wouldn’t mind having on repeat, as it sounds like it could’ve easily fit into Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell! The next track, “the last great american dynasty”, tells the story of Rebekah Harkness in Swift’s usual contemporary style with a slight folk influence. I hear Phoebe Bridgers’ influence on this track, but that may just be because I’m still frequently listening to Punisher. The album’s first three tracks are strong, and luckily this hour-long record has few low points.

“exile (feat. Bon Iver)” pairs Justin Vernon and Taylor Swift together to create haunting harmonies in what feels like a fairly traditional breakup song. “my tears ricochet” is an interesting narrative, but the slow tempo seems to stretch this project’s runtime a bit unnecessarily. I wish this song had been workshopped a little bit more. I feel similarly about the next track “mirrorball”, which utilizes the interesting concept of likening herself to a disco ball, but in a somewhat forgettable manner. “seven” is a strong recovery, reintroducing a more uptempo folk sound which contemplates childhood and all of its difficulties and simplicities. “august” is a standout on this project for me, as this Jack Antonoff co-produced track tells a story of young summer romance. This tracks just completely captures the essence of a sun-soaked and youthful summer, including its highs and lows. “this is me trying” is another simplistic track which feels like a response to those who claim Swift tends to displace blame and responsibilities on others, finally looking inward and accepting that she is trying to be a better person and partner, too. This ambient track features one of my favorite lines on the album, which is “They told me all of my cages were mental / So I got wasted like all my potential”, which is just remarkably potent.

The following “illicit affairs” is one of the most well-written songs here, a track about infidelity enraptured in fluttering acoustic guitar accompaniments. Tracks like these impress me, as it becomes clear Swift is writing music she wants to write and flexing her songwriting abilities more so than on other projects. “invisible strings” is another highlight here, featuring the interesting concept of inherent ties between people. The plucky acoustic guitar pairs nicely to Swift’s wide-ranging vocal performance on this track. “mad woman” feels like it bites off more than it can chew, as the attempted narrative doesn’t seem to land for me. This is a track which I find could actually benefit from another minute or two of fleshed-out storytelling.

“epiphany” is different than any track Swift has released in her discography to my knowledge. As this project was written and recorded in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this song takes on a gravity and heaviness, especially in its second verse. By juxtaposing and comparing military soldiers and medical workers, Swift commends the bravery required by both to do their valiant jobs well. “Betty” is one of the most traditional folk songs on this album, using harmonica and descending guitars to complete the “cardigan” / “august” / “betty” narrative this album creates, which ends up utilizing a strong feminist outlook and conclusion. “peace” is an introspective contemplation on growing older, continuing this album’s tendency to choose narrative over radio-appeal. “hoax” is a somewhat depressing closing track, but that isn’t to say it isn’t impressive lyrically and sonically, as Swift reflects on the toxicity of a relationship she can’t bring herself to leave, with lines like “Don’t want no other shade of blue but you / No other sadness in the world would do”, which is heartbreakingly clever and raw during the circumstances we find ourselves in, which is a generally sad world.

I was thoroughly impressed and surprised by the direction Taylor Swift took with this album. She has unabashedly and confidently rebranded her sound and image, now appearing more introspective, emotionally revealing, and mature than ever. This project is basically my ideal Taylor Swift album, which I very much enjoyed. I hope that her sound continues to evolve, because if she continues to release music on this level of quality, we’re all in for a treat. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “cardigan”, “the last great american dynasty”, “seven”, “august”, “illicit affairs”, “invisible string”, “epiphany”, “betty”, “hoax”

SCORE: 7/10