Taylor Swift Folklore: What the critics are saying about surprise new album

Artist shocked the world when she announced she would be releasing her eighth album this week

'Folklore is the hot ache of late summer, where infatuation and nostalgia thrive; the scent of woodsmoke and red wine hangs in the air' (Beth Garrabrant)

Taylor Swift’s new album, Folklore, is receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics.

Early reactions to the pop star’s eighth album, which focuses heavily on piano-based instrumentation and Swift’s songwriting talents, have been full of praise.

The Independent gave the album four stars, writing: “Swift’s 2019 album, Lover, was a return of sorts to her lush, romantic compositions of old.

“Those songs were visions of spring in pastel pink and purple, following the winter storms raging on Reputation. Folklore, then, is the hot ache of late summer, where infatuation and nostalgia thrive; the scent of woodsmoke and red wine hangs in the air.

“Written and recorded in isolation, it includes collaborations with Swift’s ‘musical heroes’ – The National’s Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, and her frequent songwriting partner and co-producer Jack Antonoff. There are no pop bangers here, just exquisite, piano-based poetry.”

The Guardian’s Laura Snapes gave Folklore five stars, praising her “emotional acuity” and vocal performance.

“Folklore proves that she can thrive away from the noise: if you interpret “classmates” as pop peers, Swift is no longer competing,” the review reads. ”Bombastic pop makes way for more muted songwriting, and a singular vision compared to the joyful but spread-betting Lover. With concerts off the table for the foreseeable future, no longer needing to reach four sides of a stadium may have proven liberating.”

The i Paper also gave Swift’s new record five stars, commenting: “Women have triumphed in the last year in electronic indie-folk – most strikingly Angel Olsen, Phoebe Bridgers, and Haim. Swift joins their ranks with Folklore, soundtracking every shade of empathy, sorrow, and shame.”

NME gave the album four stars, calling it an “extraordinary indie-folk makeover”. The review suggested the 16-track album dragged on occasions.

“Folklore feels fresh, forward-thinking and, most of all, honest,” the review said. ”The glossy production she’s lent on for the past half-decade is cast aside for simpler, softer melodies and wistful instrumentation. It’s the sound of an artist who’s bored of calculated releases and wanted to try something different. Swift disappeared into the metaphorical woods while writing Folklore, and she’s emerged stronger than ever.”

The Telegraph critic Neil McCormick also awarded the album five stars, writing: “These are beautifully turned songs filled with empathy for downtrodden characters battered by life but always ready to fight back, bridging social distance with langorous melodies and deep emotion. The lockdown may have been a terrible moment for music and musicians, but it has resulted in Taylor’s Swift’s most powerful and mature album to date.”

A review for Variety said: “It’s hard to remember any contemporary pop superstar that has indulged in a more serious, or successful, act of sonic palate cleansing than Swift has with her eighth album, a highly subdued but rich affair written and recorded in quarantine conditions.”

The Times gave the album four stars, commenting: “Folklore (the clue is in the name) sits in the kind of earthy genre enjoyed by people with liberal arts degrees and a passing interest in wood carving. It is a long way from ‘Shake It Off’.”

Swift herself has said Folklore “started with imagery. Visuals that popped into my mind and piqued my curiosity”.

“In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness,” she wrote in the album’s prologue. “Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve.”

Folklore is out now.