There is certainly something peculiar about Taylor Swift’s ninth studio album evermore. Maybe it is the way that she announced its release, a mere five months after its predecessor folklore which revolutionized Swift’s appeal in the alternative community and garnered six Grammy nominations. Maybe it is the way that the tracks border the cusp of maturity and a return to familiarity, small infusions of pop, nods to works of the past and markers of Jack Antanoff’s production and co-writing. Or, maybe, it is the way that I fell asleep at 1 A.M. after a disappointing first endeavor, and a single relisten was all it took to melt my original sentiments this morning. There is a magic to these verses, it just seems to need time to sink in.

evermore, a jumble of windy metaphors and gloomy piano chords, tells mostly fictional tales in the same vein as folklore - yet somehow they feel slightly more realistic. The wistful triad of Betty, James, and Inez has been replaced with the likes of divorce, grief, and the intimate loneliness that comes after the finality of college. Swift wrote in a Vevo chat that she, “wanted evermore to represent fall & winter while folklore represents spring & summer.”

This could be heard immediately as she proceeded to drop the music video for lead single “Willow”, a call to the witchcraft of love and a visual continuation to folklore’s “Cardigan”. The song itself is held together by plucky acoustic guitar on a chorus with lyricism reminiscent of Reputation tracks. “I’m begging for you to take my hand/Wreck my plans/ That’s my man” is analogous to former radio hit “Delicate” and Swift’s breathless vocals echo the sultry seduction of “Dress”. However, the storyline is far more innocent by comparison, which contrasts the rest of the album thematically. Initial impressions render ease in listenability, but lines like, “I come back stronger than a 90’s trend,” wear away at the impressiveness of “Willow” (although Swift seems to disagree - the lyric is now resting proudly in her Twitter bio).

With the exception of “Gold Rush” - a strange, albeit enticing monologue on fighting for the sole attention of an attractive partner that relies entirely on a catchy drumbeat - evermore catapults itself into a narrative of reflective mourning. “Champagne Problems” begins with a piano riff similar to that of Swift’s “New Year’s Day”, exploring a proposal rejection and the aftermath that fizzles like the name of the drink it bears. Interludes play off of the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, a clear influence; twinkling notes with a dreamlike chorus in the background, haunting in a beautiful way. “Tis’ the Damn Season” follows suit, a track that weighs down the listener in sonic heaviness and booming bass drums. It is paired with a simplistic electric guitar throughout and shines lyrically. “The holidays linger like bad perfume/ You can run but only so far.” A rekindling of an old hometown affair is prompted by Swift, but the overarching melancholia of the track swirls just like the scent she describes. As stated in her liner notes, this album is for those who feel a sense of dread during the holidays, after all.

There are the stories of burnt out flames: the abusive partnership in “Tolerate It”, a Track 5 that fits in with its infamous heritage, and “Happiness”, which delves into the aftermath of a decayed marriage. “Tolerate It” contains some of the best displays of Smith’s wordsmith, including, “Gained the weight of you/Then lose it/ Believe me, I could do it.” It makes up for the oddly paced melody of the song itself, which may be off-putting for some. “Happiness” could very well be inspired by 2019’s hit movie “Marriage Story”, which Swift admitted in reference to “My Tears Richot” off of folklore. Once again, some of the strongest lines are delivered in this fictitious reflection on divorce set to the pang of a steady, peaceful organ - “All you want from me now/ Is the green light of forgiveness/ You haven’t met the new me yet/ And I think she’ll give you that.” Hope comes in the unlikelist pockets of this album, and “Happiness” is the pinnacle of this.

Similarly to folklore, Aaron Dessner co-wrote and co-produced this album while his twin brother Bruce Dessner produced orchestrations throughout. As aforementioned, Swift’s recurrent production/songwriting partner Jack Antanoff reprised his roles with evermore alongside Swift’s (real-life) partner Joe Alwyn who is credited as co-writing “Champagne Problems”, “Evermore”, and “Coney Island” under the alias William Bowery. “Coney Island” includes a feature from The National and not-so-subtle nods to Swift’s formerly documented relationships - “Were you standing in the hallway/ With a big cake, happy birthday” references RED’s bonus track “The Moment I Knew”; “Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest grey” harkens back to Speak Now’s “Dear John”; “And when I got into the accident/ The sight that flashed before me was your face” describes the car crash in “Out of the Woods”; “But when I walked up to the podium/ I think that I forgot to say your name” calls out Swift’s hesitance to thank Calvin Harris (her then-boyfriend) at the 2016 Grammys. Apart from this, not even collaboration from all four lyrical contributors on the album can save “Coney Island” from dissolving into something too far-reaching. It overshoots the landing in its gloom, something captured in a more balanced and believable way with “Happiness” or “Tolerate It”.

Features continue with Swift’s “Goodbye Earl”-esque piece “No Body, No Crime”. Not only does the track use Este Haim’s name for its protagonist, HAIM romps along with Swift as the story of a cheating husband devolves into double-murder. A country motif is also heard in Aaron Dessner’s mandolin on “Cowboy Like Me” (which includes backing vocals from Marcus Mumford) and more poignantly in Justin Vernon’s banjo on “Ivy” - perhaps the most gorgeous and outstanding piece on evermore and in Swift’s career as a whole. It pulls from the “incandescent” twirling instrumentals of “Willow” and revamps them with a chant-like chorus and fluttery vocals. There is a softness to “Ivy”, despite the dark subject matter, and even a mention of spring (the only one in the LP). The Lumineers have a distinct connection in this Americana-infused piece. It is easy to imagine Swift leading a chorus of foot-stomping fans in an acoustic performance someday when the world allows for it.

Sandwiched between fillers “Long Story Short” and “Closure”, “Marjorie” is positioned as the thirteenth track on evermore. An homage to Swift’s late, maternal grandmother Marjorie Finlay - whom she portrayed in the music video for the 1989 single “Wildest Dreams” - the song is dreamy and optimistic. Finlay appears in the lyric video through home movies and photographs as Swift reaffirms, “What died didn’t stay dead/ You’re alive in my head.” Finlay, an opera singer and foundation in Swift’s music career, is credited at the end of the track with a background sample of her vocals. It is the most personal song for Swift on the album and a stand-out for fans. The track serves as the companion to folklore’s thirteenth song “Epiphany” which was written for Swift’s maternal grandfather Robert Finlay.

The LP concludes with the title track, “Evermore”, featuring Bon Iver. A simple piano melody plays throughout, eerily comforting. “Hey December/ Guess I’m feeling unmoored,” sings Swift. As she reflects on a feeling of pain - one that she describes as “peculiar” - she worries that it may last forever. Iver brushes in with a fantastical, swirling bridge and the duo settle on the statement that, “This pain wouldn’t be for evermore.” It is the message we might all need during winter, a long and treacherous one this year. While evermore may not share the uplifting and whimsical setting of folklore it continues the narrative of forest shadows and hidden magic, even if under the surface; beauty in the dark places.

The real peculiarity doesn’t hide in the album itself but in Swift’s ability to compete with her own discography time and time again. “I have no idea what will come next,” she writes. “I have no idea about a lot of things these days and so I’ve clung to the one thing that keeps me connected to you all. That thing always has and always will be music.”

evermore is available on all streaming platforms

The Peculiarity of 'Evermore': Taylor Swift Releases Companion to Six-Time Grammy Nominated 'Folklore'