I've mostly stayed away from Taylor Swift because of what, in her songs, has always sounded like over-sentimentality and early-teens-aged insecurity. Maybe she had notebooks full of songs she wrote when she was 12 and those are what she tapped into first when she got signed; I don't know. But when a 19-year old sings about what we (admittedly, stereotypically) associate with what we remember of middle school, it feels disconnected. I couldn't figure out if she had been a couple of grades behind, or if it was all just part of some heavily manufactured attempt to sound younger than she was.

For all of those reasons, I'm excited that in the lead single, "Mine," the only mention of a girl's father is "a careless man's careful daughter," which presents a strikingly clear perception I didn't think the persona behind "Love Story" had. And the album continues to get better from there (though the arc does drop a bit towards the end) when we get more awareness in "Sparks Fly," with lines like "My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea."

Up next is "Back to December." Yes, the rumor is that this song is probably "about" Taylor Lautner. No, that doesn't mean you should just skip it. Just don't think about him. Don't get lost in the potential celebrity of it; just focus on the apology here. Focus on what is probably the familiar fear of freedom really only meaning missing the person you're thinking about leaving.

"Speak Now" -- Taylor's voice on this track is more fragile here than on any of the other tracks. At times, it's brittle or almost even frail, but at others it's pretty perfectly delicate. It's one of my favorite on the record, because her performance of it on Letterman made it obvious that she knows exactly what she's doing. She's coy enough to convince me her quirks are endearing.

"Dear John" -- So here we go again. Yes, this is probably about John Mayer. Apparently, all of the songs on this record are confessions to different people. But, again, focus. Focus on how clearly she pinpoints a character - the flaws she ascribes to him: "You'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand." Jesus. It's a Carly Simon/Warren Beatty kind of moment.

"Mean" -- Title's a bit simple. I'm not sure who the bully is supposed to be, or why (if she really does) Taylor thinks moving to a big city would mean less bullies. But I really like the picture "wildfire lies" creates and the idea of being frustrated that someone points "out [your] flaws again, as if [you] don't already see them."

"The Story of Us" -- I'm curious about a mashup with Robyn's "Dancing on my Own" (DoMO). I think the 2:15 mark of this track and the 1:00 mark of DomO might work together really well. It's dance-pop a la Kelly Clarkson.

"Never Grow Up" -- This track is more about Taylor than the little girl whose hand is wrapped around her finger. But not having anything to regret is low-hanging forbidden fruit. I guess I'm old enough to both understand the pull of nostalgia and know I can't actually relive it.

"Better than Revenge" -- I'm not saying Taylor doesn't craftily shape the kind of  revenge schemes The Bride in Kill Bill or Carrie in, well, Carrie would envy. I'm just saying this song does nothing to convince me that I should be afraid of Taylor Swift. Good for her for being willing to claim to be scary, though.

"Haunted" -- The energy "Better than Revenge" is missing. Not that this track makes me afraid. Just thought we should be clear on that.

"Last Kiss" -- My favorite moments on this record (actually, on most) are when the imagery is pristine. And on this track we get "How you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something. There's not a day when I don't miss those rude interruptions." The best songwriting is like a camera.

"Long Live" -- Not sure I can't explain why I like this. I know it has at least a little to do with how she delivers "long, long live the look on your face" at the 4:59 mark.

Not everything will always get a replay, though.

"Enchanted" is about a crush at first glance ("Please, don't be in love with someone else"). It has the advantage of everything she does: clean, clear, and open. But it's missing the depth other songs on the album have.

"Innocent" is way, way too frail. And that's a shame, because there are lines - like, "Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days, when everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you" - that get lost under the sledgehammer of innocence that is this song. Could The Hulk smash people with gentility? Because this is what that would sound/feel like: extreme gentility.

"Ours" is on the borderline, with cute pleasantries that seem too familiar 15 tracks in.

"Superman" just is, though maybe that's the byproduct of being near the bottom of a 19-track album that repeats several of its themes.

And while I guess I shouldn't fault "If This Was a Movie" too much for sounding (at times) like Miley's "The Climb," well, it does.

You may have noticed I don't rate albums here; no stars, and no thumbs. But overall, you should hear this.