“The Tortured Poets Department:” A Letdown

            They say that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And that’s why I feel so mixed about the latest Taylor Swift album.

         The Tortured Poets Department dropped on April 19; that, and its double album extension The Anthology. For the sake of getting the full picture, let’s look at the whole 31-song package.

         Swift has a lot to say on this album, and that’s where the beauty in it is found. She evokes real-life imagery in a poetic collection of lyrics centering on the singer’s romantic relationships. Some of it’s great. Some of it feels juvenile or tries too hard. But then some of it says just enough.

         From a music perspective, The Tortured Poets Department doesn’t have much to offer, which is a shame. One of the things I’ve long-respected about Taylor Swift is her ability to transition from genre to genre so brilliantly.

         The country singer we heard on 2008’s Fearless gave us classics like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” Her image then changed with her sound, diving into pop stardom before  a successful pair of indie albums started the 2020s. Then, it all came to a crescendo with Midnights – the album that, in my opinion, cemented her status at the top of pop music.

         That’s where I feel like we really heard the best of the synth pop that acted as The Tortured Poets Department’s sonic building blocks. But again, Midnights did it better.

         I enjoy a simple arrangement. Really, I do. The “less is more” approach can do so much for a song. But the guitars, keys and drums of The Tortured Poets Department lay too little of a foundation for Swift’s powerful poetry. The melodies that carry her words do nothing to save it, either. There are definitely a number of shining moments, but for the most part, the lines are repetitive and forgettable.

         The Tortured Poets Department’s repetitiveness is its biggest flaw, and releasing a double album only emphasizes that. I can’t help but feel like it was a cash grab. I mean, how many different versions of The Tortured Poets Department with different singles did we get on day one? Four?

         Swift’s latest album could have been much better than this. I believe she has the talent and time to deliver a high-quality product packed with bangers and mellow moods, just like she has time and time again in the past. But we didn’t get that on The Tortured Poets Department. We got an album that should have been one-third of its Anthology length.

         There should have been more time put into these songs. The lyrics are there, but the instruments, the melodies and the arrangements needed so much more. Sure, a few songs like this would have been OK, but The Tortured Poets Department gives us too much of the same so-so song on repeat.

         It’s still a pleasant album, and again, a fine display of poetry. For that reason, I’d surely buy a book of the lyrics if that were to ever exist. But on the musical side, it falls short. I’d put it on for some light background listening, but if I were to sum it all up in one song, it would be “Anti-Hero Lite (Unfinished Version).”