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Wow. This is one of the VERY rare moments where a remake not only encapsulates and epitomizes the very essence of the original source material, but is ALMOST better than the previously pivotal piece of work; which is an absolute amazement, especially when it’s a record as definitive as Taylor Swift’s best (in my less-than-humble opinion, at least) album, “Red”. My opinion of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was appreciative, but ultimately lukewarm at best (which breaks my heart considering my undying devotion to this woman and her expertise), but this album checks all of the appropriate boxes to become the essential version of this brilliant piece of neo-avant-garde pop. Unlike the retreaded iteration of “Fearless”, Taylor’s newly affirmed vocal afflictions work brilliantly with the in-depth piercings of heartbreak, affirmation and regret that encompasses the vast majority of “Red”. Even though there are a VERY small few songs that worked a bit better with her mid-evolution vocals of 2012 (almost like the vocally transformed Brandy re-recording her sophomore slugger, “Never Say Never”), most of the time, they still work just as well (if not better in a particular selection of songs) as they did during that questionable time period of music. Songs like “State of Grace”, “Red”, and “Holy Ground” are near-identical in performance and instrumentation to the original, but Taylor’s more refined sense of emotive expression towards the climax of the tracks is far more effective, making the theme of “out with the old, in with the new” in this remake prominent throughout the entire auditory experience.

On a fan-based note, Taylor’s Version of “Girl At Home” was a startlingly welcome surprise, ditching the guitar-laden princess poppish feel of the original for a more “1989” inspired piece of classic synth-pop; which, in turn, almost completely eclipses the original version of the song due to the liberties taken within the track. And of course, the long-awaited 10-minute version of “All Too Well”; arguably T-Swizzle’s best song ever according to many. The newly discovered version is a sight to behold, with the lyrics of “You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath” (as well as MANY others) shining a light of realistic bitterness and understanding sense of pisstivity on the formally nostalgic and almost safe-in-comparison original. Taylor’s storytelling absolutely shines on this track, and this song alone is one of the main reasons why this version of “Red” will probably become the only version that’s worth falling into entirely in this day and age, and that’s REALLY saying something considering the source material. This is pretty much the “Resident Evil 2002” (the initially GameCube-exclusive game, of course; NOT the movie) of Taylor’s catalogue, and the long runtime serves a major purpose in positioning the overall feel of the album instead of hindering the experience with excessive/unnecessary banter and overcompensation.

4.5/5 Stars.