Reviews are coming in and they are awesome
Featuring heavy synth artillery, a deep, atmospheric percussion line and the jittery production that has become the signature of track collaborator Jack Antonoff, “Out of*the Woods” checks off all the boxes required of a modern reproduction of the 80s pop sound. It, meanwhile, checks off none of the boxes required of an*authentic*Taylor Swift song.
Until one actually listens to the words and processes the melody.
From the raw, yet vivid storytelling, to the open showcasing of emotion, to the seamless interjection of metaphor she has been honing since “Speak Now,” to the way she transitions from verse to chorus (“And I…”), Taylor Swift is wholly true to herself on this song. She never leaves any doubt that the new sound and production style are simply new–and improved–means of allowing her to present that true self rather than*components*of a “new Taylor Swift.”
What has always been remarkable about Swift’s*songwriting*is her ability to*extract*the big from the small. In the grand scheme of things, many of her stories about cute boys, mean boys and friendships might seem petty and trivial. But to the*individual*who lives through those occurrences–whether it is Taylor Swift, a passionate fifteen-year-old fan or a casual sixty-five-year-old listener–they can carry the intimidating and seemingly infinite*weight*of the world. Those turning points in one’s life, no matter how small from a macroscopic perspective, drown her in seas of varying–and conflicting–emotion. They are never small or insignificant to the person going through them, and few*songwriters*are more faithful to that reality than Taylor Swift.
If the production and overall essence of “Out of*the Woods” changes anything for Swift, they finally give her some help. Instead of having to rely on the*weight*of her words–and subtlety in her vocal tone–to convey the hugeness of life’s moments and fleeting emotions, Swift now benefits from a wave of sound that truly captures that hugeness.
Swift has always worked to be simultaneously personal and universal. “Out of*the Woods” allows her to fulfill that objective in a way few would have expected–but anyone absorbed in her hauntingly personal story or the colossal, surrounding music will be able to accept.
http://headlineplanet.com/home/2014/...-woods-review/
