Album Review: Taylor Swift is Warm and Unflinching on the Imperfect ‘Evermore’

On her ninth studio album and second surprise release in 2020, Swift does more of what she does best: good, but not always great, songwriting. However, folklore and her latest record, evermore, come together to create a new career peak for Swift.

Written by Felix Kalvesmaki

Photo courtesy of Beth Garrabrant

Released a day after its announcement, Taylor Swift’s latest album, evermore, is a companion to her earlier 2020 project, folklore. There’s plenty to tie these records together: an indie sensibility (with an assist from The National’s Aaron Dessner on production), rhyming titles, and a crisp, fall ambience. It’s wise to market these as sister albums, as otherwise, evermore would feel like more of the same melancholic music. Many have tried the quarantine album: for instance, Charli XCX released how i’m feeling now earlier during the pandemic. But few in the mainstream sphere have shot for two.

What’s good about evermore is what’s good about folklore: Inviting instrumentals, composed and poetic lyrics, and a coziness that invites listening in a warm car or under blankets. Conversely, what’s bad about folklore is also bad about evermore. It overstays its welcome; some tracks blur together, and Swift still occasionally writes in a somewhat elementary voice, which brings down a few songs. 

Despite being sister albums, however, there are some differences between evermore and folklore. In her latest release, the Pennsylvania native returns to her roots with a more country sound that dominates her previous records. While folklore was less folksy and more of a Taylor Swift album with indie production, evermore delivers a Southern sheen. Dessner takes an even more active role in this record’s production, with fellow producer Jack Antonoff — who’s worked with the pop star on her last four records — assisting on only one track. The shift is tangible: evermore is not a repeat of folklore with a different cover. For example, the HAIM-assisted murder ballad “no body, no crime,” ruminates on Swift’s revenge following the fictitious death of band member Este Haim. Swift returns to the acoustic guitars and lap steel guitars of her more youthful work — though the innocent tone of her first three albums is notably absent.

The ”Tears On My Guitar” singer gets introspective on this record, giving listeners glimpses of self-loathing and complex relationships. The standout “champagne problems” turns stomachs, as a would-be fiancée leaves her boyfriend after he proposes. Characters in the song lament the boyfriend’s loss: “She would've made such a lovely bride / What a shame she's f-cked in the head.” In “tolerate it,” she waits around for someone “older and wiser” to “celebrate” her gestures of affection, but her partner only “tolerates it.” Swift’s vocal performance on this is something special too, with the way listeners can feel her riling herself up into the project’s climax. “One for the money! / Two for the show! / I was never ready so I watch you go” creates a swell of anger, longing, and loss. It’s a shame a song like this comes so early in the tracklist, as it’s arguably evermore’s crown jewel.

Photo courtesy of Republic Records

But there’s plenty of emotional triumph on the record, too, even if it doesn’t always come in expected ways. The deceptively nuanced “happiness” isn’t a saccharine love song, but a moment of personal achievement. Swift conveys this sense of resolution through dialectics: “There'll be happiness after you / But there was happiness because of you / Both of these things can be true.” Later on, she flips it for her partner: “There'll be happiness after me / But there was happiness because of me / Both of these things, I believe.” Swift is not only prepared to move on from an old love; she asks her partner to do the same for the sake of both their hearts. It’s an interesting cut as well, for its use of subtle electronics, dense piano chords, and quick plucks of strings. The resulting combination is warm and uncompromised, allowing the analog and digital to coexist and harmonize.

However, Swift doesn’t just write about love in a romantic capacity. “marjorie,” a track about her grandmother, could be seen as a companion to folklore’s “epiphany” which discusses her grandfather’s past. The similarities don’t stop there, as both are track 13, as well. (Swift’s favorite number, for the stans.) This song showcases some of her most heartstring-tugging lyrics, as she proclaims in the uplifting pre-chorus, “If I didn't know better / I'd think you were still around.” Swift describes her family living on in her heart as if they were angels: “What died didn't stay dead.” Furthermore, the track’s sound is just short of what one might expect a sentimental tribute to a grandmother to be. There are cozy chords and melodies, yes, but there’s also a glitchy, beautiful mess of electronics underneath the more traditional structure of the song that make it feel fresh amidst antiquity.

Despite its strong lyrical moments, there are times in which Swift’s writing and delivery could use polishing. The entirety of “long story short” feels like filler. It’s a cute song, but the kind of detail present on the rest of the record is absent here. It feels skin-deep, with undercooked instrumentals and boring lyrics. The singer-songwriter worked to subvert the titles of other tracks on the record, like “happiness” and “‘tis the damn season.” But here, using the words so literally feels lazy. Lines like “Clung to the nearest lips / Long story short, it was the wrong guy / Now I'm all about you” don’t read in the tone that Swift was perhaps intending. They feel indecisive and empty, rather than euphoric and romantic, like the song would have one believe.

However, even the lowest points of this record are accompanied by something special. As longtime Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff’s only production credit on the record, “gold rush” swirls with whimsy through strings and harmonies. It’s a beautiful listen, even if, lyrically, it’s about a rather immature jealousy. The main hook, “Everybody wants you / But I don't like a gold rush,” feels defensive, like she doesn’t trust her partner. In contrast, the closer and Bon Iver collab “evermore” is well-written but inconsistent, confusingly speeding up during the bridge and then slowing back down as things come to a close. Changing the tempo of a song can work well, but to go from slow to fast and back to slow again feels like whiplash. However, Swift and Justin Vernon’s vocal performances are warm and comforting. Each low point of this record is met with its own high.

Overall, evermore accomplishes more of what folklore set out to do. The two come together as triumphs of emotional and descriptive songwriting, ambient and soothing sonics, and an overall surprise win for Swift’s career.