It finally arrived. The Tortured Poets Department is here. And in typical Taylor Swift fashion it’s a double album. That latter bit is quite a surprise and one worth commending in a day and age when there’s literally no secrets anymore, especially when it comes to her career.

As for the album itself? Oof. Where to start? 31 songs is a lot of music to digest especially with an album as lyrically heavy and dark as this one is. It is arguably her boldest, most daring and most creative album to date. And her first real sonic departure since Red. It is also produced impeccably well (no surprise) and has a maturity about it we haven’t really seen from her yet. This is as adult a record as she might ever make. It is layered, nuanced, complex and dark. Really, really dark. There also appear to be very few singles but in 2024 Taylor Swift controls the narrative and it’s fairly certain these songs will find their way to terrestrial radio and beyond.

Trying to unpack all 31 songs is a chore but suffice it to say the first album begins sedate, sleepy and is anchored in mid-tempo melancholia. Lead single and opening track “Fortnight” features some well-placed backing vocals from chart-topper Post Malone and while his vocals add a bit of texture the song itself swims languidly until the final 90 seconds when it really begins to crystallize and becomes something noteworthy and memorable. Insofar as opening tracks it’s as tepid and vanilla as they come, but again this is a woman who has done very little wrong in 18 years, so who am I to judge?

The title track follows and swims in more mid-tempo melancholy. There’s an 80s pop vibe but also a profound sonic veneer that calls to mind The 1975. Whether or not this song is directly about their frontman Matty Healy is anyone’s guess but it wouldn’t be the only time she’s borrowed from an ex-lover’s sonic terrain. The mood remains the same on “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” “Down Bad” with the latter being arguably the more memorable. “So Long, London” begins gorgeously with aching piano but never really packs a solid punch. That however is all erased on “But Daddy I Love Him.” Grand in scope and easily arena-ready this is Taylor doing rock music and sounding damn near perfect.

“Fresh Out the Slammer” continues the positive momentum and almost feels like a prequel to “Florida!!!” a hazy ode to the Sunshine State featuring Florence Welch. The triumvirate of “But Daddy” through to “Florida!!” is deeply affecting and finds Swift hitting on all cylinders. “Guilty as Sin?” allows the lyrics to do much of the heavy lifting while “Whose Afraid Of Little Old Me?” packs a kinetic and lyrical punch that seems destined for oversaturation by year’s end. Immediate, urgent and winningly memorable “Whose Afraid of Little Old Me”” is proof that when it comes to songwriting Miss Swift has the winning formula.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” fails to land sonically but certainly packs a punch emotionally. Wintry piano ballad “Ioml” makes its claim as arguably the best downtempo song on the album whereas its successor “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is the most pulsing song to date. A straightforward dance bop it is very much the kind of cut you can imagine being titanic in concert. Speaking of titanic “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is one of the most cutting and straightforward kiss-off’s from a woman who has made a career out of them. Slow-building and cinematic in scope “The Smallest Man” is another ready example of what a gifted songwriter Miss Swift is. The languid and hazy “The Alchemy” and the ethereal and nocturnal “Clara Bow” round out the album’s first set of songs.

The surprise second album of 15 extra songs is wintry and piano-heavy and frankly should have been released on its own. There’s very little summery here. Save for the shimmering “ImGonnaGetYouBack” and the blithe pop sendup “So High School” there’s a lot of melancholy and introspection and almost all of it is maudlin. Whether she’s admitting to being a “weirdo” in “I Look in People’s Windows” or taking down a foe in “Thank You Aimee” there’s a profound sense of brutal honesty that is equal parts refreshing, alarming and unashamed.

However as this second batch of songs builds upon each other it begins to become a wearying and almost tortured listening experience. There’s no real sense of hope or optimism until the absorbing and damn near perfect “Robin.”Sonically, vocally, lyrically and arrangement wise, this song is a freaking masterpiece. I’ll admit I’m not one to give Taylor a plethora of niceties but on a song like this she deserves all the credit in the world. It is not hyperbole to say that this song is utterly flawless. Other listeners might cling to “The Bolter” about a woman keen on fleeing commitment while others might while others might appeal the narrative arc of “The Manuscript.” Truth be told there’s a lot to like on this second batch of songs. But picking each apart and finding something to laud becomes a bit of a chore.

In the end this album will leave many talking, speculating, crying and maybe even raging. Art after all is meant to provoke. Few do it better than Miss Swift. She’s shattered countless records and continues to be the singular face of pop music. And while she brooded a little more than this writer cares for much of that brooding is done impeccably well. 2023 was a big year for Miss Swift, 2024 might be even bigger.

The Tortured Poets Department is another towering work for an artist who continues to scale to heights pop music has not seen in decades, if ever. While this isn’t quite Dylan going electric at Newport Folk Festival this does feel like a jarring and eye-opening shift in her discography. Time will tell if it ends up being the best of her career.