Taylor Acorn isn’t a new name to the pop rock scene, but she is absolutely a name that is driving the pop rock scene to new places. Her new album, Poster Child, is both exactly what I expected from her, and simultaneously more than I could have hoped for.
Throughout her discography, Taylor’s strength has always been highlighting the way she feels, much like we are being given pages to her own diary. The title track is true to her unique, upbeat sound, but the lyrics are vulnerable. She has a sense of relatability that is refreshing. “Poster Child” isn’t about a failed relationship, but rather her relationship with herself.
The next track on the record is “Home Videos,” which was immediately polarizing for me. Her ability to tell her own unique story while also being so relatable is what keeps me coming back to her music. “There’s not one thing I would change, If I could go back for a day,” struck me on my first listen. I think there is a lot of pop punk writing that looks very negatively on the past, and it’s refreshing to hear someone’s perspective of missing their home, processing their own complicated feelings, yet giving a voice to everyone’s who homesick.
Poster Child has a great mix of upbeat, danceable songs along with the singer-songwriter style that Taylor does so well. The first single released was “Goodbye, Good Riddance,” a danceable track whether you are in your bedroom or in the crowd at Warped Tour. The production and pace of the track is how it feels to be so fed up with a situation, but you can’t quite stop talking about it yet. The verses are steady, showing the logical side of a crash-out. The chorus breaks into a louder, almost rushed feeling, emulating the way it feels to talk to a close friend and let out how mad you really are.
Taylor Acorn is a fresh coat of paint on the long-time legacy of pop rock. Poster Child delivered everything I hoped for from her third full-length album. From festivals to late night drives, I can’t wait to see where Taylor Acorn’s impact on the genre will lead.
