taylor swift - speak now

I will never forget the image of Taylor Swift at last year’s Grammys, her arms struggling under the weight of her four gleaming trophies, one of which was the Album of the Year award.

Here was this cookie-cutter, down-home country girl-turned-pop star standing out of place on one of the greatest stages in the entertainment world, holding the most coveted accolade a musician can receive, one that should’ve been given to literally millions of more deserving artists.

I never recovered from that day.

Which is why I was so surprised when I actually sat down to listen to her latest effort, Speak Now.

What I found was not the overproduced slop I had come to expect from Ms. Swift. Instead, I heard a mature songwriter truly reaching her stride, her lush songwriting brought to life by the authentic guitar-work and unparalleled vocals that mark her unique take on the country genre.

The influence of her idol Shania Twain is prominent throughout, yet where Shania would abandon her roots in favor of the blatant pop hooks in “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” or “Up,” Taylor Swift always manages to stay grounded. This is an artist who knows where she came from and took extensive notes along the way, and the result is nothing short of superb.

There’s something undeniably beautiful about the songs she’s crafted here.

The atmosphere created by her impressive cast of backing musicians pushes her soaring vocals to the forefront, highlighting the heartwrenching lyrics of songs like “Speak Now” and “Dear John.” (As if I needed another reason to hate John Mayer—what an asshole.)

It’s good music, plain and simple.

I approached this album with an undeniable hesitancy, but as hard as it is to admit, I’m leaving as a fan.

…Okay, that’s enough of that.

I don’t get this. I really don’t.

Even reaching down to the deepest pits of my pessimistic soul, I can find nothing enjoyable about this album.

It’s not bad. All things considered, it’s pretty good, if you’re into that kind of stuff. At the very least, it avoids reaching back for the truly painful lame country clichés that dominate every other country song I’ve ever heard.

At the same time though, it’s just too…pretty. I can’t take it. I like my music to be raw and scathing and unpredictable. This album is none of those things.

I will admit, I was joyously taken aback by the brutal honesty of “Dear John,” especially given the public nature of the subject matter. So kudos for that.

Beyond that track, however, there wasn’t a single moment on the album that surprised me in the slightest way.

It’s nice, it’ll make you tap your foot on occasion, but in the end it just comes off as soulless. Which is sad, because it’s obvious that Taylor Swift has a soul, and an amazing one at that—it’s just buried so far beyond that perfect glossy surface of contemporary pop music that it’s lost to my ears.

But I’m sure most of you love this stuff, so ignore my pretentious grumpy old man ramblings and enjoy it. Ignore the haters (like myself) and listen to the music that moves you, no matter what anybody else has to say about it. After all, that’s what this whole music thing is all about in the end. Never forget it.

- 11/15/10