You can fill an entire season of Survivor with castaways who all played an instruments in Taking Back Sunday through the years. Some real notable individuals played in this group, including Jesse Lacey from Brand New, Fred Mascherino, and some guy named Steven. After Taking Back Sunday released the hulking poop known as New Again in 2009 that was about as average as a new Kings of Leon single, they decided to get new again- again.
Bringing back two former members that were around for their early days, John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, the group found new footing and released their self-titled album Taking Back Sunday, thinking this a new proclamation of their unifying power as a group. These guys dismantled Straylight Run, their melodramatic group that acted as a musical detour, and rejoined the band that gave them their wings. So here we have what is essentially a reunion of a former line-up, a throwback to the Tell All your Friends era, and more naive times.
Fortunately for Taking Back Sunday, the chemistry, the energy, and whatever makes up that cohesive little tie of a group of grown men, has risen and rested upon nearly every track on this self-titled fifth album. Some songs are reasonably straightforward, like Money, a choice cut or two is forgettable and bland like It Doesn’t Feel a thing Like Falling, hitting that typical track 8 dry spot. But just like any damn good record, those few songs, those choice tracks shine and amaze and make the album fantastic.
Let’s open strong. Best Places to be a Mom is as close as their old-school sound we could have asked for. As far as it goes for Taking Back Sunday in 2011, this is the best song the fans could have asked for. You can hear John Nolan belting in the background, returning the band to that duel vocalist style missing from New Again. And that chorus is simply booming, right out of Where You Want to Be. If they said it was a 2003 b-side i would not only believe them but be furious that I had to wait 7 years to hear it.
Sad Savior shines as a ballad done right for the group. Here they perfect that quite-loud-quiet structure that seems to have juxtaposed throughout their career, and lyrically, it’s formula Adam Lazzara writing at its best. It’s followed by Who Are You Anyway? bringing Nolan back in strong as a vocal balance, making me appreciate his presence ever the more. The album hits a few less than stellar tracks in a row, but it’s almost completely made up for when the band decides to close strong with Call Me in the Morning. I’m a sucker for a beautiful closing track. This is a beautiful, powerful, escapist closing piece of music that reminisces love and admiration in 4 minutes of impeccable music writing. Damn.
There are quite a few Taking Back Sunday cuts here that neither shine nor whimper. But for all the controversy surrounding the changing line-ups, and the bullshit claim to being new again that surfaced in 2009, I, as I’m sure many, are ecstatic to hear Taking Back Sunday in just about top form- escalating their musical prowess into the new decade and reminding us that the charm of classic TBS bleeds through into this new collection of songs. I cheer. I chant. Taking Back Sunday deliver high quality music in high quantity. And these tracks sure seem like a total blast to hear live. What more can you ask for?
9/10
Keepers for the IPOD
Best Places to be a Mom
Who Are You Anyway?
This is All Now
Call Me in the Morning
Sad Savior