Taylor Swift graced the lockdowns of the tumultuous 2020 with two surprise albums in folklore and evermore. Both are worthy of being crowned the greatest release of her nine-album, fifteen-year-long career.
After the fall-out from Swift’s acrimonious departure from Big Machine Records and the subsequent sale of her masters, Swift has stated she will re-record the masters for her first six albums. It seems a fitting time, then, to look back at Swift’s musical career and rank her albums.
9. Taylor Swift (2006)
Swift’s debut album came out when she was just sixteen year’s old. The album oozes with a reflective vibe on love and relationships from a teenage perspective, held together with jangly country guitar and the twang of plucked banjo. Standout tracks include acoustic ballads, ‘Tim McGraw’ and ‘Teardrops On My Guitar’. ‘Our Song’ – delivered with a heavy country accent accompanied by fiddles – gives early insight into her trademark lyrical observations.
Our song is the slamming screen door / Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window.”
‘Our Song’
My favourite, the mid tempo ballad ’Cold As You’ is about letting someone go and occupies the soon-to-be-famous track five slot. Taylor Swift is a strong debut but the country influence sounds too forced at times and as a result the record drifts towards cliche. However, there is no doubting the glimpses of Swift’s songwriting ability.
Rating: 5/10