folklore

by Taylor Swift

Overview

Faced with some unexpected free time due to a lockdown inspired by a global pandemic, Taylor Swift turned inward. The result of her introspection was folklore, an album whose hushed atmosphere belies the speed of its composition and recording. Once she started the project, Swift turned to her longtime colleague Jack Antonoff for some input, but she also contacted an unexpected new collaborator: Aaron Dessner, the driving force behind the acclaimed indie rock band the National. Dessner's presence is a signal that folklore represents a shift for Taylor Swift, moving her away from the glittering pop mainstream and into gloomier territory. All of this is true, if perhaps a bit overstated. The 16 songs on folklore are recognizably her work, bearing telltale melodic phrases and a reliance on finely honed narratives that turn on exquisitely rendered lyrical details. Still, the vibe of the album is notably different. Sweetness has ripened into bittersweet beauty, regret has mellowed into a wistful sigh, the melodies don't clamor for attention but seep their way into the subconscious. None of these are precisely new tricks for Swift but her writing from the explicit vantage of other characters, as on the epic story-song "the last great american dynasty," is. Combined, the moodier, contemplative tone and the emphasis on songs that can't be parsed as autobiography make folklore feel not like a momentary diversion inspired by isolation but rather the first chapter of Swift's mature second act. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	07/23/2021
Label:	Emi Records / Republic
UPC:	0602435034881
Rank:	184

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Taylor Swift   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jack Antonoff   Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Rob Moose   Viola,Violin
Bon Iver   Featured Artist
Thomas Bartlett   Synthesizer
James McAlister   Drums,Percussion,Synthesizer,Hand Percussion
Justin Vernon   Vocals,Sound Effects
Jonathan Low   Synthesizer Bass
Evan Smith   Keyboards,Saxophone,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Bass,Flute,Clarinet,Accordion
Bobby Hawk   Strings
Mikey Freedom Hart   Mellotron,Wurlitzer,Vibraphone,Harpsichord,Pedal Steel,Guitar (Electric)
Benjamin Lanz   Trombone,Synthesizer
Jason Treuting   Percussion
Kyle Resnick   Trumpet
Clarice Jensen   Cello
Dave Nelson   Trombone
Yuki Numata Resnick   Viola,Violin
Josh Kaufman   Harmonica,Lap Steel Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
JT Bates   Drums
Aaron Dessner   Bass,Piano,Drones,Guitar,Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Synthesizer,Slide Guitar,Bass (Electric),Synthesizer Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Bryce Dessner   Orchestra,Synthesizer Bass

Technical Credits

Jack Antonoff   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Rob Moose   Orchestration
Thomas Bartlett   Engineer
James McAlister   Engineer,Programming,Drum Programming
Bryan Devendorf   Drum Programming
Justin Vernon   Composer,Vocal Engineer
Jonathan Low   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Evan Smith   Programming
Mike Williams   String Engineer
Laura Sisk   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Jon Sher   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bella Blasko   Engineer,Recording
Lorenzo Wolff   String Engineer
Benjamin Lanz   Engineer
Jason Treuting   Engineer
Kyle Resnick   Engineer,String Engineer
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Clarice Jensen   Engineer
Dave Nelson   Engineer
Josh Kaufman   Engineer
John Rooney   Assistant Engineer
JT Bates   Engineer
William Bowery   Composer
Jon Gautier   String Engineer
Joe Alwyn   Producer
Aaron Dessner   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Field Recording,Drum Programming
Serban Ghenea   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Bryce Dessner   Orchestration
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Taylor Swift   Composer,Producer