The singer’s 11th album is a double whammy of songs that really ring out in intensity, power and the way in captures a full range of emotions beautifully.
If there was a more appropriate title for an album, I have yet to come across it. There is so much emotion and sorrow that comes through on this album that it is impossible not to think of Taylor Swift as a tormented poet herself – the quality and thoughtfulness of her lyrics making each song come across as poetry.
But equally there is a sombreness and maturity to her songwriting that really makes the listener sit up and pay attention – particularly on the early numbers of part one of the album showcase as heard on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ or ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys’ for example. Her skill both lyrically and musically is the fact that she doesn’t need specific tricks to grab the listener’s attention – except for her insightful lyrics, which have clearly been chosen with great care and thought.
With songs such as ‘But Daddy, I Love Him’ and ‘The Bolter’, her story telling skills are on full display and makes the listener thoroughly absorb he lyrics themselves. But it is also interesting to note that there is also a sharpness and almost defiance to songs such as ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ and ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’ that confronts the behaviour of others and certainly make powerful statements. This is someone who truly pours her heart and soul into her music to explain exactly how she feels – which is why her music has always been relatable and can be interpreted in many ways.
For anyone else, releasing two albums in one go would seem indulgent – but with Taylor Swift it seems right and only to be expected. This is a singer with plenty to say and many ways in which to express herself.
While it is so easy to search for hidden meanings as to what song is about her past relationships, that is never entirely the point to her music. Yes there is personal experience behind them – but the skill of her songwriting is to open it up and to ensure that her songs can appeal and draw people in based on their own experiences. Particular highlights for me were ‘Loml’ a heartbreaking abut beautifully delicate portrayal of a break up that feels authentic in every lyric and ‘ I Look Through People’s Windows’ which comes across as feels as a way of imagining what other people’s lives are like – it’s filled with loneliness and isolation told in a poetic way.
There are plenty of surprises along the way – ‘So Long, London’ might be laid back on the surface but there is an urgency behind it that makes it an intriguing listen as is ‘Fresh Out of the Slammer’ which is really pleasing in its edginess. On ‘I Can Fix Him (Really I Can)’ and ‘I Can Do it With a Broken Heart’ there is a sense of pain and determination that rings through that is relatable. The songs are well grounded in the human experience – superstar or not, no one is immune to pain.
As an album, The Tortured Poets Department is a profound and thoughtful release that really makes an impact.
By Emma Clarendon
The album is available to buy and download now.