If there’s a sense of Folklore surrounding Taylor Swift, it’s high school alumnae gushing to their acne-ridden successors over her “like amazing” musical talent. I’m much less impressed. She has some good songs, including False God from her previous album, but they’re far and few between. Her music is mostly middling and this album is no exception.
With Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff at the helm, it’s a solemn; in one case Illicit; affair. This isn’t pop music in the loud electro-synth sense. Taylor Swift tips a hat to her country and western roots on the opp-gender love ballad Betty, but these are mostly “like folk songs”, which makes for easy listening. It’s also thoroughly unremarkable and a little bland.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020