The 42-minute 12-track album begins with one of my favourite songs of the year, the relentlessly poppy and hook-filled 'Hard Times' which feels like the best tune on the radio at the moment, taking lyrics about dealing with depression and setting them against such an optimistic backing. If this song doesn't have you singing along then you're not listening properly.
Track two channels Alphabeat in another bouncy pop-rock hit. 'Rose-Coloured Boy' has echoes of 'Hard Times' but also stands on its own feet with its chant-along bridge ("Low-key, no pressure, just hang with me and my weather"), singable teen-angst chorus, Daft Punk-lite electronic riffs and more joyful optimism.
'Told You So', single two, continues with the same production feel and electronic vibe with the occasional vocal effect, beat drop and xylophone sound to add to a more stripped back feel that sounds a bit closer to the older Paramore sound whilst still offering something poppier, again focusing on surprisingly introspective lyrics.
'Forgiveness', track four, is a slower number that is in sharp contrast to the poppiness of what's come before it but is a refreshing shift though it feels a little more by-numbers. 'Fake Happy', with its maudlin opening, makes more of an impact. Slipping back into its 80s synth pop style, this is a track with more of a darker swagger and the stripped back production makes the more personal lyrics time to stand out and you feel for her on this personal song, with its smacks of young-angst, and it feels like it could be the soundtrack to some American teen drama. There's still time to slot in a catchy chorus though, and this feels like single #3.
Bringing us up to the half-way point '26' is potentially an Adele / Taylor Swift reflection on age (even though Hayley is now 28) and is a much slower number, with a low-tempo pace and a quieter production that feels a bit odd compared to the rest of the album but is a nice enough breather, though isn't one of the best tracks. 'Pool' up next feels more like a hard-reset to the second half with the funky bass moments returning and the bridge building up to another radio-friendly chorus. 'Grudges' feels more like older Paramore but has enough hooks to keep your interest; 'Caught in the Middle' is a slower song but it develops well with a sunny feel in contrast to its more downbeat lyrics and its repeating of its hook at the end works well; and 'Idle Worship' fits in well again but doesn't have the energy of the earlier parts of the album though still sounds great.
'No Friend' is probably the most different track on the album with a monologue by someone lying down low in the mix turning it into practically an instrumental, and it feels like a waste of three minutes. As an interlude it works but at three minutes it sort of outstays its welcome, though weirdly doesn't drag too much. At least closer 'Tell Me Now' improves things at the end but the slower inward-looking number feels at odds musically, if not lyrically, to the album opening.
Overall I really enjoyed the bouncy 80-feel of 'After Laughter' and though the lyrics are perhaps more teen angst than profound witticisms it's all wrapped up in such a great production and music style, even if the first third of the album out-paces the rest of the album. With the earlier Paramore sound mixed with something more Alphabeat, it's a great sunny LP with hints at darker times in the wording. (7/10)
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