New Again

Taking Back Sunday

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 2, 2009)
• Original Release Date: June 2, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: WEA/Reprise
• ASIN: B0024RI98M
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,539 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Three studio albums, three gold awards, three Modern Rock hits. Now, three years after its biggest-selling album to date-the #2-charting Louder Now-Taking Back Sunday returns with a new energy, a new
guitarist and a new fearlessness on New Again, produced by David Kahne
(Sublime, The Strokes, Paul McCartney). Having toured with Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution, opened for My Chemical Romance at Madison Square Garden, coheadlined
Warped, and played Live Earth, Taking Back Sunday fulfills the expectations of a growing fan base and yet expands its musical boundaries with an album that
ranges from anthemic rock to engaging pop, the relentless to the infectious. Taking Back Sunday is truly New Again.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars unspectacular, June 2, 2009

By	noumena (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Again (MP3 Download)

If like me, you have been a fan of Taking Back Sunday since their debut album Tell All Your Friends, you no doubt have noticed with dismay that the impassioned back and forths and overlapping vocals that they innovated, and which characterize and define their distinctive sound, become increasingly sparse with the release of each new album.

This album continues that trend, and depending on the way you see it, may be construed as "original." Original is fine if improvements are made, and the album is better all things considered, but there aren't really any noticeable improvements, neither in the lyrics department or the music department. Matthew Fazzi, who replaces TBS' erstwhile lead guitarist, Fred Mascherino, lacks conspicuousness throughout, his vocals neither passionate nor powerful enough to match his predecessor's and sounding rather more like an afterthought than something integral to TBS' identity (as John Nolan's and Mascherino's did on former albums).

Granted, there are some stand-out tracks, like "Cut Me Up Jenny," a feisty song with a jaunty beat, and "Everything Must Go," a heartfelt lamentation of unrequited/capricious love reminiscent of "Brooklyn," but New Again is a supreme disappointment nevertheless. The fact that it took so many years to complete adds to the letdown after all the self-promoting ballyhoo (evident in its name "New Again"). Musically, it is less intricate than Where You Want to Be and Tell All Your Friends. Lyrically and production-wise, it is less mature and polished than Louder Now.

For those who prefer seeing some numbers:

1. New Again 4/5
2. Sink into Me 3/5
3. Lonely, Lonely 3/5
4. Summer Man 3/5
5. Swing 5/5
6. Where My Mouth Is 4/5
7. Cut me Up Jenny 5/5
8. Catholic Knees 3/5
9. Capital M-E 3/5
10. Carpathia 4/5
11. Everything Must Go 5/5

As you can see, there are definitely some tracks interspersed throughout that I would fain skip over when playing this CD to friends of mine who are unfamiliar with Taking Back Sunday. However, I would have no misgivings playing any of their earlier CDs in sequence and uninterrupted. Since none of their earlier CDs warranted a full 5/5 grade (Where You Want to Be and Tell All Your Friends come closest, earning a 4.5 in my book), and in all honesty this album isn't better or as good as Louder Now, which I rate a 4, I think a 3 or 3.5 is a fair mark to assign this very mediocre release.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Ready to be New Again, July 2, 2009

By	S. Marshall - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're expecting this album to be anything like the old Taking Back Sunday then I can tell you that this album probably won't make you very happy. If you're willing to keep an open mind and listen to the new album as a new, redefined version of TBS then you'll probably actually really like this.

The album can be listened all the way through without skipping any songs and I would identify 'New Again', 'Sink Into Me', and 'Where My Mouth Is' as the highlights of the album. 'Everything Must Go', which is the last song on the album stays most true to the traditional style of TBS where songs like 'Summer, Man' and 'Where My Mouth Is' represent a complete, but welcome departure from what would be expected from TBS.

Here's a breakdown of the songs/ratings:
1. New Again - 5/5
2. Sink Into Me - 4.5/5
3. Lonely, Lonely - 4/5
4. Summer, Man - 4/5
5. Swing - 4/5
6. Where My Mouth Is - 5/5
7. Cut Me Up Jenny - 4/5
8. Catholic Knees - 3/5
9. Capital M-E - 3.5/5
10. Carpathia - 3.5/5
11. Everything Must Go - 4.5/5
Overall - 4/5

Again, if you keep an open mind instead of expecting a continuation of the dual-lyric older TBS you'll probably enjoy this album.

2.0 out of 5 stars Epic Fail, November 10, 2009

By	Damon M. Lutenegger "AFkidd" (Jersey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

TBS...what happened to you? I USED to LOVE your music, now, its just; simply put...bad.