Hayley Williams, the 20-year-old dynamo lead singer of Paramore, has an entire life of adulthood in front of her. She's in no rush to get there just yet, and it's her sneering and hissing that make the band's "Brand New Eyes" a standout in the usually cookie-cutter genre of emo-pop-punk.

Williams has plenty of attitude, but it never seems like a front. On "Playing God" when she sings, "Next time you point a finger I might have to bend it back/Or break it, break it off/Next time you point a finger/I'll point you to the mirror" there is little question that 1. she will do just as she promises; and 2. she has every reason to feel that way. Just as important as what she says is how she says it -- the vocal hiccup at "break it" is one of those minor moments of pop genius that the Tennessee band has packed into its third album.

Most of the songs on "Brand New Eyes" have that instantly familiar feel -- without actually feeling cliche. It speaks both to the template the band works with (speedy verses that launch into a mega-chorus, usually repeated more times than an episode of "Project Runway" on Lifetime) and the quality of the songwriting. In addition to the usual power-chord riffs, the band employs some stuttering rhythms that make those hook-filled choruses all the more booming by comparison. Even a slow number such as "The Only Exception" has some spark; the rest of the album is overflowing.

Paramore performs Oct. 23 at Merriweather Post Pavilion