As promised, here's the first part of my five part series on reviewing the Best Album category for the Grammy's. This is a straight through review of each track, and then an overall conclusion on the album. So with that, lets begin. Following the review of each track, a mark will appear within ( ), a check-mark "✔" meaning a great track, an "O" meaning an okay track or track that could have been great with a few adjustments, or an "X", meaning a miss. (All rights to any video of the mentioned songs is copyright of Taylor Swift and Big Machine Records). (I've included raw scores for each album: (✔% * 2) + O% - X%
Taylor Swift "Red"
1) "State Of Grace"
"State of Grace" begins with a drum opening in the background, with a country/rock opening. It sort of resembles a classic Taylor sound. It also features a nice breakdown midway through. There's a nice stripped part towards the end (that should have been longer). "State of Grace" is a solid instrumental, but it lacks a really solid chorus. It has its moments (as I mentioned), but its brought down by sub-par lyrics. A miss as an opening to "Red". (X)
2) "Red"
"Red" starts off with a solid instrumental intro. A nice pop/rock feel surrounds the chorus, which features a good use of metaphor in the lyrics. There's a nice focus on lyrics, which isn't complicated by instrumentals. The chorus breakdown towards the end is also solid. "Red" is a nice rebound from "State Of Grace". There's a nice attention to imagery in the lyrics, with a solid instrumental to back it up. (✔)
3) "Treacherous"
"Treacherous" starts off with a similar feel to "Red". It picks up midway though. All in all, "Treacherous" isn't spectacular, but you can see what the song is trying to do. It isn't terrible, but it is rather forgettable. (X)
4) "I Knew You Were Trouble"
"I Knew You Were Trouble" starts off with a fast instrumental. There's a nice breakdown in the chorus. There's especially a nice half-time "rock" feel in the "Oh.....trouble" section. "I Knew You Were Trouble" is a nice"angsty" anthem. It has a good pace and good feel to it. A pop/rock instrumental brings out the lyrics and message even more. (O)
5) "All Too Well"
"All Too Well" starts off with a "country" feel. The song grows gradually and builds up. It also has a nice transition following the build up leading to the conclusion. "All Too Well" is a really solid track. It shows Taylor's country roots. The lyrics really tell a story, along with good transitions and big vocal moments. (✔)
6) "22"
"22" has a nice instrumental opening. The chorus is light and fun, however it does possess a lot of repetition. "22" is a youthful anthem from Taylor Swift. Is it the best song on the album? No, but it is a fun and catchy track. (O)
7) "I Almost Do"
"I Almost Do" goes back to a country feel. There's a nice inflection in the lyrics. "I Almost Do" is a solid track with moving lyrics. It could really use a big vocal moment to make it a really great track. (O)
8) "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" has a bit of an electric opening. It has a nice beat to it. There's a nice A Capella moment followed by the spoken word portion. Its a nice break-up anthem. While it has its fun moments though, it lacks a solid instrumental, feeling a little too basic. (X)
9) "Stay Stay Stay"
"Stay Stay Stay" starts off with a unique instrumental/up beat intro. It kind of feels like a different take on "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". It possess good lyrics with description, such as "self indulgent takers". It may be a bit repetitive, but it has a nice ending. All in all, its a unique/change of pace track. It almost has a sort of "indie" feel to it. (✔)
10) "The Last Time" ft/ Gary Lightbody of "Snow Patrol"
"The Last Time" has a nice slow opening. Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody's vocals really blend together nicely. There's a nice back and forth call as well. This is the first of two duets on "Red", and Gary Lightbody brings a lot to it. However, a muddled sounding instrumental keeps it from being great, but it is a good track. (O)
11) "Holy Ground"
"Holy Ground" features quick vocals. It's kind of a throwaway track. It has an awkward feel to it, and lacks imagery. (X)
12) "Sad Beautiful Tragic"
"Sad Beautiful Tragic" has a bit of a "folksy" opening. It has a stripped feeling to it. Its really a terrific track. You can truly get lost in the lyrics and the instrumentals behind it. Its just a perfect blend and change of pace. (✔)
13) "The Lucky One"
"The Lucky One" has a similar feel to it as "Holy Ground". Its rather basic sounding. Seemingly another throwaway track. You can see what the song is trying to portray, but it seems kind of discombobulated. (X)
14) "Everything Has Changed" ft/ Ed Sheeran
"Everything Has Changed" has a nice stripped opening. It features Taylor's upper register, which she should use more of. "Everything Has Changed" is just a perfect duet and love song. Taylor and Ed's vocals compliment each other and blend perfectly. Its one of the best tracks on "Red". (✔)
15) "Starlight"
"Starlight" has a pop feel to it. Its kind of similar to "Red". Its kind of a throwaway track. It lacks originality and doesn't stand out on the album. (X)
16) "Begin Again"
"Begin Again" has a nice toned down intro. The vocals really make the song here. You almost wish this was further up in the album, but its a nice conclusion to "Red". There's a nice compare/contrast quality to the lyrics (with the current and former guy mentioned in the song). (✔)
(✔) = 38%
(O) = 25%
(X) = 38%
Overall, "Red" is a very solid album. Tracks such as "Sad Beautiful Tragic" and "Everything Has Changed" really show Taylor's maturity. While she may be deviating away from country, some tracks still feature her country roots. The more deviating tracks, like "22" really work in the pop market, while others "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" fail to live up to the hype. All in all though, "Red" is a very solid effort for Taylor Swift, demonstrating her continuing maturity in the music industry.
"Red" - 63
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