Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 06/03/2011 at 12:54 PM Reviews

The Popdust Files: paramore, Transformers

Were you worried that the departure of the Farro brothers (guitarist Josh and drummer Zac) would fundamentally change the sound or feeling of Paramore? Probably not, since this had long since been lead singer Hayley Williams’ band, and one of the reasons the FarroBros left in the first place was that she had long been getting to call all the shots creatively. Indeed, Paramore marks the second band we’ve reviewed today whose new song finds them working rather comfortably within their pre-established niche, as “Monster,” the band’s contribution to the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack, is pretty typical

The song begins with an echo-y, distant-sounding guitar part highly reminiscent of the group’s other most notable soundtrack contribution, giving way to a typical Hayley tale of relationship-under-fire: “You were my conscience / So solid, now you’re like water.” Even with a new guitarist and drummer, the band’s playing is as tight and angular as ever, full of as many stop-start rhythms, tempo changes and dynamic shifts as the group that did “Misery Business” once upon a time. “I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster,” sings Hayley on the song’s chorus. Is she reassuring her fans and bandmates that everything’s gonna be OK with the band, or merely describing the dramatic events of Transformers 3? Only time (and possibly the movie’s Wikipedia plot summary) will tell.

Ultimately, like today’s Coldplay premiere, you wouldn’t quite call “Monster” a phone-in job, but chances are it’s not gonna convert too many non-fans—if you like Paramore, you’ll like this song, and if not, not. At the very least, though, we here at Popdust appreciate the band’s repeated contributions of new, single-worthy fare to blockbuster film soundtracks—in a world where not even the new Batman movies are attempting to spin off a Big Soundtrack Single, it’s appreciated that someone is attempting to keep the “Kiss From a Rose” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” flame alive.

POPDUST SAYS:
[starreview tpl=16]