When reviewing Paramore’s After Laughter this year, I concluded that it was entertaining but “inessential.” Yet months later I keep coming back to the album and loving it more and more, to the point that I wish I had used a different word because the songs have been nothing if not essential to my 2017. In fact, After Laughter will probably end up in my year-end top 10; just about every song is richly arranged, crammed with hooks, and overflowing with relatable lyrics about the fight against cynicism. I honestly can’t say enough nice things about it. It’s just a remarkable batch of pop-rock tracks — particularly the softer tracks like “26” and “Forgiveness,” though the more uptempo selections are extremely winsome too, as evidenced by today’s Good Morning America performance. Check out footage of “Hard Times,” “Fake Happy,” “Rose Colored Boy,” and an interview below, and visit the GMA site to see “Told You So,” and “Caught In The Middle.”