If you'd have told me ten years ago that I'd someday be using both Taylor Swift and grunge as points of reference for one artist's album review, I would have been more than a little miffed at how those two things could be wrangled into anything remotely cohesive or listenable.
Yet, here we are.
The truth is that Temptress - Tiffany Johnson's debut full length - is better than just cohesive or listenable. The record feels like a gift to a specific subsection of music fans that fuck with mainstream pop just as much as they are moved by weighty riff-driven alt rock. Fortunately, it can't just be distilled down to one or both of those two things, though.
"Girl Next Door," the opening track of Temptress, feels like a late night thunderstorm - ushering in a thick, dark atmosphere that feels like it's washing something away, in order to clear space for what will follow. And what does follow is pure glossy, candy pop punk with an emphasis on pop. Songs like "Shocked" are why the term 'guilty pleasure' exists in music. It's so sticky sweet that it feels decadent and indulgent. But, as soon as it begins to feel like too much of a good thing, Tiffany leads us to another place in her songwriting universe.
On "Burning Town," Johnson's pop country roots steer her balladry. This ballad, paired with some tasty production choices, leaves you mystified by where the album might take you next, once it abruptly concludes.
This cycle of balancing high energy with chilled-out and breathy atmosphericism continues throughout, with songs in the latter camp typically relying on decidedly Nashville-tinged instrumentation and songwriting vibes. It's hard not to imagine these songs being workshopped in Music Row bars on open mic nights.
While the slower, laid back acoustic ballads do feel like a continuation of a certain tone or direction, the songs that kick it up a notch or three tend to draw from a deeper well of inspiration, stylistically. "Sucker Punch" pulls retro synth pop into the mix, in a nearly audacious way.
But where this convergence of influences really shines in a way that feels the most like a more singular direction is on "No Good For Myself." Johnson's lyricism, phrasing, and penchant for developing next level vocal hooks are showcased perfectly by the solid foundation of dynamic, minor-key grunge pop. It's somehow part Paramore, part Failure, and uniquely Tiffany Johnson. The third proclamation of, "I'm no fucking good for myself," practically begs you to scream along.
I've certainly given in to the temptation of listening to this track repeatedly, if not the entire album. And while that may not be the sort of temptation Tiffany is envisioning with the record's moniker, I'd be willing to bet she would welcome it.
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Tiffany Johnson's Temptress drops April 24th.
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Watch our Pop War interview with Tiffany below: