Album Review: Taking Back Sunday, Taking Back Sunday (for The Music Network)

27 June 2011

by Poppy Reid

When Taking Back Sunday underwent a change in lineup in 2003, it was inevitable they would lose some of the emo-tinged punk that shaped the band’s sound during their modest beginnings in 1999. With the departure of vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist, John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper, the New Yorkers carried on down a more prog-rock path with each subsequent three albums. But now on their self-titled fifth record, both Nolan and Cooper are back, replacing Matt Rubano and Matthew Fazzi, and have brought with them some of the original sound we saw fire from their 2002 debut, Tell All Your Friends.

Many stalwart fans rejoiced at the thought of a restoration of their debut’s sound. However, with three albums in between Tell All Your Friends and this eponymous release, those less sanguine imagined it to be both very unlikely and quite possibly detrimental; they were right.

The album opener, El Paso is also the most deceptive track on the record. It kicks off with heavy guitars and dissonant, out of character vocals for frontman Adam Lazzara. For all its nu-metal energy and vigorous riffs, El Paso stands alone on an album of conflicting sounds.

Although most tracks seem to stand at odds with the old and new sound, there are some that actually get it right without little friction. Early track, Best Places To Be A Mom calls on both the Tell All Your Friends album as well as the alt-rock found on their last record, New Again. It courses between TBS’s back catalogue seamlessly without sounding nostalgic or lazy, the only disappointment comes when the track ends and we’re back to the grating hybrid.

Two tracks later we reach the inevitable filler in Money (Let It Go). Although it may have all the elements we’ve come to expect from the band: thought-provoking lyrics, energetic riffs and a melody as superbly layered as it is catchy; it just doesn’t omit the same power as its counterparts.

The album closer ties off what El Paso endeavored to start; Call Me In the Morning ends the record with the same well-crafted passion that seemed distant in the belly of it. Lyric-wise, this track is the most similar to their debut, Lazzara cuts himself open for this one and Nolan shouts harmoniously behind him, the wait for this impressive power duo has been a long time coming but was well worth it.

Generally, a band will use the ol’ self-titled cop out for their debut but with Nolan and Cooper’s return it’s apposite that this should be a rebirth. Unfortunately, with a matured sound instilled in TBS over three albums, a battle between new and old has sparked confusion. The up side is that the hybrid can only become more fine-tuned with each welcome successor.