Buzz Aldrin. That's what kept coming to mind when I was trying to characterize this album. Sure, the dude's famous, but he'll always be known as the second man to walk on the moon. Not that making a mellow folk album and releasing it with less than 24 hours' notice is equivalent to walking on the moon, but you catch my drift.
Evermore is a sonic extension of Folklore, plus a drum loop or two. I don't have a ton to say about it. Folklore's ceiling is higher; there are more songs I genuinely love. Evermore is probably more solid throughout. The two albums are destined to be forever intertwined.
The world should be unerringly grateful for Taylor's contribution to this accursed year, but 31 songs of cottage couture in six months is a lot. Still, if this had been released next year sometime, I'd doubtlessly be disappointed that it sounded so similar to her previous effort. Releasing it as a sister album was the right choice, but it dampens the impact a bit.
My favorite song on the record is "Champagne Problems," largely because it sounds like a demo version of "All Too Well." What a gift to the culture "No Body, No Crime" is, with its stellar refrain: "I think he did it/But I just can't prove it." I will take solace in that phrase every time I'm 99% sure a student cheated, but I don't have a smoking gun. I'd definitely be interested in future HAIM collaborations. The title track featuring Bon Iver doesn't quite match the highs of Folklore's "Exile," but it's an outstanding closer.
Critics are gushing over Taylor's ode to her opera-singing grandmother, "Marjorie," but I prefer the more lively "Dorthea" as far as song titles featuring women's first names go. "I come back stronger than a '90s trend" on the album's opener, "Willow," is the most clever turn of phrase. That's probably the extent of tracks that I'll be adding to my "Essential Taylor" mix, but as I noted, it's not like the album is full of filler.
If Evermore were released before Folklore, it's quite possible I'd have the former graded higher. And if Buzz Aldrin walked the moon before Neil Armstrong, he'd be the household name. As it is, I dug Evermore slightly less than Folklore. As much as I've enjoyed this phase, I'm anxious for Taylor to go back to mixing in some snappy pop songs, in the same way that I'm anxious to go back to eating in restaurants and watching football at friends' houses. Quarantine cottage couture has its limits.
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