Red

Straight White Man Reviews Taylor Swift #4

Taylor's first forte into pop, dipping her toes into it while also staying true to her country pop/folk pop/pop rock style (a bit heartland rock tinged this time around too) for the bulk of this record. The three pop hits here aren't that good for the most part- 22 is still a banger but the dubstep drop of I Knew You Were Trouble ruins the cut and i never really cared for We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Where this record really strives is when Taylor's vocals (the most defined of her career yet) glides over lush and detailed pop rock/heartland rock instrumentation. Taylor's song-writing also improved leaps and bounds with the jump from Speak Now to this record. Songs like State of Grace (my favorite Taylor song), Treacherous, and All Too Well really stand tall as some of Taylor's best. However, songs like Everything Has Changed, Stay Stay Stay, and The Last Time just feel like dime-a-dozen commerical-core singer-songwriter/folk pop. Has some moments of excellence but overall incredibly consistent save for a few highlights here and there.

Light 5/10

Playlist Adds: State Of Grace, Treacherous, All Too Well, 22, I Almost Do, Holy Ground, The Lucky One
Worst Track: Stay Stay Stay