folklore // Taylor Swift – Kat Smith
Released: 24 July 2020
From the 80s synth and city lights of 1989 to the snake-infested Reputation and pastel-perfect Lover, Taylor Swift’s album eras have often been neatly packaged using characterised, easily identifiable themes. But while folklore has serious cottage core aesthetics, there’s something transcendent about this album. Writing freely in isolation, it feels like the closest peek into Swift’s brain we have ever had.
Swift may continue to share her own stories on the likes of ‘invisible string’, ‘peace’ and others, this is the first time she has significantly brought others into the narrative – her grandfather’s on ‘epiphany’, the fictional characters of Betty and James across three songs, and even the previous owner of her house, Rebekah Harkness, in ‘the last great american dynasty’.
The comparably stripped-back production throughout, demonstrated by the proximity of the original album to the live long pond sessions, lets the songs shine for what they are: put simply, the entire album is a masterclass in storytelling, vocals and melody.
Swift’s songwriting has always been stellar, but devoid of a shiny marketing campaign or the pressure to create another stadium-touring album, the pandemic allowed folklore to be Taylor Swift’s most authentic album yet.