Having just wrapped up the record breaking Eras Tour, Taylor Swift may just be looking for some well earned downtime. Way back in April she released her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. The album broke streaming records upon release and she has just recently released physical copies of the album’s Anthology edition, offering up another 15 tracks that she wrote and recorded with her main collaborators – Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner.
The first single, “Fortnight” features Post Malone on a downtempo sound about the mundane tensions that can run through the suburbs. The title track is a mix of pop and country as the sponge like Swift absorbs the culture around her as she name drops “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith/This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel”. “Down Bad” sees Swift beam up into stardust just to be left naked and alone on a synthy R+B track while “Florida” sung with Florence Welch ratchets up the Lana Del Rey vibes.
Like most of her albums, the lyrics have been examined a million times over looking for clues on who the songs are about. Almost every track on the album has it’s own Wikipedia page which does not happen for most artists but such is Swift’s immense popularity and interest in her private life. “So Long, London” leaves behind her British boyfriend where she sings “You say I abandoned the ship/but I was going down with it” over a beat that sounds a like a racing heart. After a few slower tracks, “I Can Do it with a Broken Heart” brings back the bright coloured lights as she acknowledges that “you know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart”.
The Tortured Poets Department follow the same path of some of her recent albums with similar pros and cons. It’s an odd quirk that it’s almost immediately apparent with within the first few bars of each track you can tell whether it’s going to be a great one or just OK. Coming at 17 tracks, including the bonus “The Manuscript”, it’s a bit long and could use some trimming to make it a leaner listening experience. But the good points are all there – the production is impeccable and Swift’s lyrical wordplay is always intriguing. This slick team is really good at what they do.
7.5/10
The Light Appears 
Aside from all the drama of teen adulation, Swift does some quality material though I know very little of her vast repertoire. Thanks for showcasing this album.