Taylor Swift - evermore (2020)

Reason for Listening:
#1 on the Billboard 200 (Week of 20201226).
Last Week: - | Peak: 1 | Weeks on Chart: 1
Billboard Listing: Evermore - Taylor Swift - [portrait of Taylor Swift]

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Released 20201211.
15 songs. 60:38. evermore (2020)
15+2 songs. 60:38+08:20. evermore (Deluxe) (2020)
Wikipedia

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Notes:
--20201228--
First listen.
Currently at track 7 ("happiness") and I'm thinking this album probably would require multiple listenings to appreciate. As it stands, it feels underwhelming.
The second half was more pleasing.
Second listen.
Moved "willow" from a "0" to a "2"
Moved "no body, no crime" from a "1" to a "0"
Moved "dorothea" from a "2" to a "3"
Moved "happiness" from a "0" to a "1"
Moved "closure" from a "2" to a "3"

3: "dorothea"; "closure";
2: "willow"; "champagne problems"; "tolerate it"; "coney island" (ft. The National); "ivy"; "marjorie"; "evermore" (ft. Bon Iver);
1: "'tis the damn season"; "happiness"; "long story short";
0: "gold rush"; "no body, no crime" (ft. HAIM); "cowboy like me";

Summary:
Overall, the second listen of the album improved my feeling for it. In general, I suppose any artist I'm familiar with and who I'm willing to put the effort into giving a second or third listen has an edge over a new artist who I might just give a single listen. In any case, I think I would have liked the album more back around 2014 when I was listening to a lot more folk-rock music. I would also say that the music doesn't have a strong appeal to me from a lyrical point of view. Finally, while I used "3"s to rate two of the songs, I can't say I actually feel that strongly about them. The "3" in this case is more a way of setting the songs apart from the pack of "2"s. I think further listens would easily allow any song to jump around. I think I'll give it a 3.8 to represent it falling short of a 4.0. Note that it's possible I'm overcompensating. Taylor Swift is naturally a big artist and to automatically throw my hands up and say I love the album just feels to easy.

Overall Rating: 3.8/5
Favorite Song: "closure"

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