There are going to be a lot of jokes about how this album is called New Again and how Taking Back Sunday still sound basically the same as they always have, which is unfortunate because it isn't really clever at all. That look was priceless. The title track fittingly kicks things off, and Taking Back Sunday sound more sincere than ever. Well this is phase one. A Decade Under the Influence. Taking Back Sunday finally feel like accomplished, skillful songwriters instead of a band driven by a few clever lyrics and a sarcastic delivery. You're So Last Summer.
With 2002's infamous Tell All Your Friends, Taking Back Sunday set a pretty high bar for the post-hardcore pop-influenced genre that everyone decides to call emo. The rest of the album faults the same way Where You Want to Be faulted. "Everything Must Go" is one of the best Taking Back Sunday songs ever, with a similar role to "I'll Let You Live" as the album's "epic" closer in terms of length and a slow start leading to a climax. With some songs on Louder Now, like "Miami, " the verses seemed haphazardly thrown together as simple segues into a catchy chorus, and while it was still a great album, it did feel like Taking Back Sunday were settling into a rut and riding on their past success. The album name rather obviously refers to the fact that Taking Back Sunday have suffered yet another guitarist/backup vocalist change, their third in four albums. And it still suits you the same. But there are those who still haven't gotten over the fact that John Nolan just ain't coming back, and so they scrutinize each new backup vocalist with a magnifying glass and ultimately disapprove of them. Taking Back Sunday (2011). When there was talk that the band was returning to their 'roots, ' it seemed encouraging. Their sound, somewhere between Thursday and Saves the Day, caused a figurative explosion within the scene. "Lonely, Lonely" continues the string of strong songs, and it sees New Again falling into one of Louder Now's pitfalls - top-heaviness. Sure it's rough around the edges. I will say that I still stand by my one-star review of WYWTB.
Cue a dramatic Livejournal-traumatizing split with guitarist and backing vocalist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper, the release of the incredibly underwhelming Where You Want to Be, and fast-forward to the "louder" Taking Back Sunday, debuting on Warner Bros. Records with Louder Now. Number Five With a Bullet. Happiness Is (2014). What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? Better Homes and Gardens. Tell All Your Friends set in motion a plethora of Taking Back Sunday rip-offs whose albums were nothing but plagairized half-screams and lyrics that gave suburban kids a false sense of tragedy in order to justify their silver-spoon lives.
However, New Again redeems itself better than Louder Now did; its weakest songs are much stronger than Louder Now's. The abortion that you had left you. You've got to feel sort of sorry for the guy; although Mascherino has come under fire from a lot of TBS fans (and TBS themselves) because of his departure to form the awful The Color Fred, he was still well-liked, and he performed excellently during his time in the band. New Again feels focused and sure; the band sounds confident despite yet another lineup change. To be honest, the first time I listened to this album in full I found myself bored with a majority of it.
Don't act like you can't see me coming. Tell All Your Friends (2002). Open arms reject assuming hands. You had your chance. Songbooks are recovered. A. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. u. v. w. x. y. z.
As the cynics stop before. Liar (It Takes One to Know One). The re-done bridge and the slight production really put this song into the "Would be fun as hell to see live" category. "Sink Into Me" starts off shakily with staccato "Hey! The magnification of the vocals only emphasizes the fact that this album can't hold the weight of its predecessors in the lyrical department. There is a disconnection between the vocals and the music that makes the album hard to listen to. There aren't any sudden breakout parts like the end of "Timberwolves at New Jersey, " and aside from the aforementioned songs, nothing of interest guitar, bass, or drum-wise. Other than those two songs, everything else is strong. On Tell All Your Friends, there was John Nolan, who left shortly thereafter to form the one-hit wonder band Straylight Run.
I'm not saying that Louder Now is always bad, but I am saying it's getting old and pretty boring. I've seen it before. Divine Intervention. There's No 'I' in Team. "I'll Let You Live" has potential, but is muddled down by never finding out what kind of song it wants to be.
In terms of how New Again fits into their discography, it's not as good as their first two albums, but it is more consistent than Louder Now. Best Places to Be a Mom. I treat it like disease. Instead of being a whiny confrontational song, "Capital M-E" instead sounds wistful and the mood is sad because of it.