It’s hard to believe that the now Grammy Award winning pop sensation that is Paramore started as an alternative rock band in a West Tennessee basement. As we celebrate the tenth birthday of their debut album, All We Know Is Falling, we gaze back into a past that consisted of MySpace Top 5’s and emo fringes.
Released on the 26th July 2005 by niche rock label Fueled by Ramen, All We Know Is Falling was an album shrouded by inter-band complications; long-time bandmate and friend, Jeremy Davis, made the decision to leave the band just before they were due to begin recording. The confusion and betrayal felt by his ex-bandmates is visible throughout the album, latching onto the sense of loss his departure brought and implementing into their sound. Paramore then chose to conceptualise the entire album around this, bringing a more angst-fuelled, punk edge to the young rockers sound.
Opening song and almost title-track ‘All We Know’ is the biggest insight into the aforementioned grief the band faced. Lyrics such as “We had the world out in our hands /And you ran” and “Is this what you waited for? / Just to be alone?” bring an accusatory note to the departure and an angrier tone to the album. Paired with Williams’ strong, pained vocals and a repetitive minor chord sequence, you can instantly feel the kind of raw emotion that is hard to emulate. Consequently, in only their first attempt, Paramore managed something many other bands struggle to achieve throughout their entire career – a brutal honesty that resonates with heart-felt emotion, an unashamed bearing of the soul.
At a mere sixteen years of age, Williams managed to lead the Franklin-based group with confident and emotive vocals that, whilst quiet, have an inner strength that keeps them at the forefront of both the album and the listener’s mind. It is impressive that now, at twenty-six, Hayley Williams can hold her own in a predominantly male-run industry, but having done so for over a decade, when she was merely a teenager in the midst of her high school years shows how determined and passionate Williams has always been.
The broody yet beautiful album reflects such passion, songs such as ‘Never Let This Go’ and single ‘Emergency’ dominate the album. Punchy and fast-paced, Paramore let their potential shine. However, not all songs on the album demonstrate the same demand or angst, tracks like ‘Franklin’ and ‘Conspiracy’ have a softer and more poignant feeling surrounding them, showing that despite having members as young as fifteen (Farro, Drums) they were capable of a versatility far beyond their years. ‘Conspiracy’ in particular showcases the instrumental talent of the quartet, as at times the musical talent seems repetitive; Farro and co. writing music that they know rather than what they feel.
Paramore seemed to be a truthful embodiment of the kind of popular emo sound Avril Lavigne was trying to create at the same time. The band could have easily slipped into becoming another fifteen minute cliché of sadness, a trap many early noughties try-hards fell into, but the genuine believability of Williams’ lyrics and the powerful voice with which she sang them meant that the 2005 alt-rock debut from Paramore stood out amongst the backdrop of half-hearted and faked competition.
While not widely, or personally, considered their best album, All We Know Is Falling was the foundation Paramore needed to build themselves up to the remarkably impressive heights they have reached. A sleeper success, the record was certified Gold after the triumph that was their sophomore follow-up Riot!. Despite mixed reviews and a lack of immediate commercial success, All We Know Is Falling was a strong debut that began Paramore’s illustrious and long (hopefully longer still) career that millions of fans all over the world are truly thankful for.
Words by Heather Moss