another night, another pairing - and tonight also a liveblog - Taylor Swift's new record listened with very good headphones paired with a nice complex scotch, immaculate https://twitter.com/Myntaford/status/1285798610039439360

The 1 opens and its a much quieter but also more raw Taylor than we've heard in a while. Reminds me of some of the more sombre moments on Red and sets a tone and style for the record

Cardigan follows that with some unconventional percussion and instrumentation that really bring you into the song while Taylor's voice leans into the light rasp she can bring out in a half whisper. A really sparkling song without being to cutesy

the last great american dynasty, this is gonna sound weird but it reminds me of the energy of an early Avril Lavigne mixed with a clean and limited instrumentation of The Chicks - a definitive country vibe too that I'm kinda obsessing over

another odd comparison, but her songwriting reminds me of Tim Baker and Hey Rosetta at this point. Lots of extensive pre-chorus use with ripping interludes after.

But back to the tracks, exile obviously brings the talents of Bon Iver to the fore. What's standing out to me is the multiple vocal tracks for both singers. They really texture the performances well by highlighting the harmonies

Ricochet is really interesting because you would have very little to do to change it into one of her Red era tracks. The songwriting is pushing on the instrumentation and mixing in really interesting ways. I'm paying more attention to the sincerity of the lyrics

And that really pushes on the next track, mirrorball. The structure of this song is totally contiguous with the musical composition and accentuates the most delicate parts of Taylor's voice so that her tone communicates more emotion than the words

seven though pushes the songwriting in a different direction, more towards a 70s folk music style. I could imagine a slightly rawer version of this fitting fine with the aesthetic of a Joni Mitchell.

If it's not clear - I am loving this record. 1989 was the moment Taylor really got my attention. I've since gone back and learned to appreciate her country period, but what's so impressive about 1989 is how mature the songwriting is. It feels like Taylor's lived more now.

Reputation was a misstep in my (and most people's) eyes because of how performative it seemed, which made Lover all the bigger surprise later. But so far this is the Taylor I've been waiting for.

August gets very rich and full in its instrumentation compared to the first seven songs. It feels like a transition in the album, an escalation. There are some big instrumental pushes in this song and they hit hard.

this is me trying is gorgeous with the horns and the deep bass of the instrumentation. It really hammers home something for me, this is the first Taylor album I would exclusively want to listen to with headphones. The mixing is just that good

illicit affairs has Taylor's voice coming right up to the top of the mix for a very intimate and personal effect following some of the more background effects of earlier tracks.

best track so far? invisble string. Like, seriously, from the plucked guitars to the backing strings its musically beautiful on its own, but the lyrics and Taylor's delivery sell a really interesting love story as well

mad woman is odd because the lyrics feel angry but Taylor is selling a mournful tone in the vocal. It's a real highlight to the chorus in particular and just a great track

epiphany then develops those ideas with the hopeful mood and the vocal rhythm. the instrumentation has moved to just an aura surrounding the track rather than an active part of it - this is a showcase for Taylor's voice and it works

there hasn't been a bad song yet and betty adds another hit to the list. It's like Taylor has more perspective on her own 17 year old self and is trying to correct the feeling we got on those first two records

The storytelling is more complex and the emotions are more nuanced than the lyrics she wrote when she was 17, but I wonder if this is the wisdom she wishes she had then or a more honest representation of those feelings

The penultimate song, peace, feels anticipatory from the start. It's announcing that the album is almost over and highlighting that we're at acceptance, there's almost a sense of the five stages of grief dividing the album.

And hoax. What a closer. Its patient, deliberate, at times scathing and at others deeply loving. I want to know how far into lockdown she wrote these because the other feeling I got from this is a desperation for human contact.

This album is so good it's immediately with 1989 at the top. 1989 was where Taylor showed she's grown up, folklore is where Tayor shows that she's an adult and understands the difference. There's not a dud on the tracklist, its a perfect record from her