It’s hard to review an album on the spot. But my first impression of Taylor Swift’s “Evermore” is that she wrote a ton of songs last spring, and now here’s the other 15 after “Folklore.”
I kind of like this group better than “Folklore,” despite my love for “Betty” from that album. So far on “Evermore” the songs that seem stronger and standout are the ones with guest vocals. With the Haim sisters she has a really catchy and clever murder mystery called “No Body, No Crime.” I look forward to playing that one again. With Bon Iver she sings the title track, “Evermore.”
There’s also an excellent duet called “Coney Island” with the National’s Aaron Dressner, who co-wrote most of the songs here. All Taylor’s story songs are intriguing and hearken back to the great singer songwriters who were more interested in the lyrics than the hooks. Taylor reminds a lot of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell, which ain’t bad. I remember being so impressed with her lyrics on the “Red” album, and “Evermore” reminds me of that record.
