TAKING BACK SUNDAY - New Again
TAKING BACK SUNDAY - New Again
Written by Alex Price   
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 16:33
taking back sunday - new again Three years on...
number two on the billboard charts and a new guitarist later,
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
have returned with their fresh offering
‘New Again’.

Although TBS have always
been a band to change ever so slightly
with each new album,
‘New Again’ feels like a band
that are making music they love...
which is most important.

The delicacy,
the grace, the finesse,
it all seems to be there.
Ultimately providing the band, with keys to success.
Listening through 'New Again', you hear Adam Lazzara’s most honest lyrics, as well as what some say is his best vocal delivery yet. With the addition of new vocalist/guitarist Matt Fazzi bringing a more alt-rock vibe to the record, like we started to see on the bands previous album ‘Louder Now’, while bassist Matt Rubano, second guitarist Eddie Reyes and drummer Mark O’Connell, keep doing what they do best.

Kicking off with title track ‘New Again’, a catchy, dancey track with soaring vocal melodies in the chorus, coupled with some of O’Connell’s most solid and creative drumming to date, as well as setting up the tone of the album. Next we hit the first single from the record ‘Sink Into Me’ which uses the chant “Hey!”, more than T-Pain uses auto-tune... Nevertheless, it is still a great pop-rock tune and the pre-chorus guitar hook will be left in your mind for days.

All the songs on ‘New Again’ seem to be of a very high caliber and TBS appear to have created a “skip-less” record. Although, if I was to nitpick I would say that the track ‘Cut Me Up Jenny’, is the weakest on the album. The definite standouts however, are ‘Lonely, Lonely’ a harder song on the record, ’Summer, Man’, which is ready to rock the arena as well as your next summer cruising mix-tape. ‘Where My Mouth Is’, is a fantastic ballad and so unbelievably catchy, it could become a campfire classic. On every Taking Back Sunday record they've  always closed with an epic, “big” style song – 'Tell All Your Friends’ had ‘Head Club’, ‘Where Your Want To Be’, had ‘Slowdance on the Inside’, ‘Louder Now’ had ‘I’ll Let Your Live’, now ‘New Again’ has ‘Everything Must Go’. How huge this song sounds, is insane. As well as the emotion Lazzara pours into his vocal delivery, making this song a spine tingler, undeniably.

The dual vocals that were once so synonymous with Taking Back Sunday songs, aren’t as apparent as before, but mostly for the reason that Lazzara and Fazzi’s voices are so similar... they seem to merge into one. Old TBS fans may be disappointed by the fact that there are less dual and overlapping vocals, but while it is a bit of a let-down, it certainly isn’t a downfall of the album.

Taking Back Sunday have yet again, delivered another great album. While ‘New Again’ may not be breaking new ground musically, it’s still an incredible record and should be given listens by all, both new and old fans. If ‘Louder Now’ was the first date in TBS’s new direction, ‘New Again’ is undoubtedly that first kiss that is always extraordinary and yet over all to soon.
 

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