Taking Back Sunday have been a favorite of mine for seven years since they broke onto the scene with Tell All Your Friends, an album that would become the blueprint for tons of emo wannnabe bands. Despite all the attempts by plenty of dudes with sideways haircuts, no one ever quite captured that same sound. Even TBS themselves weren’t content to stay in the same place and they continued to evolve with 2004’s Where You Want to Be and moved a little more into the mainstream with 2006’s Louder Now. In that time, Taking Back Sunday has been through 3 guitarists and as a result their sound has somewhat changed. Their newest record New Again lives up to its name by sounding like a band that is refreshed and looking forward and not backward. The energy is kept high throughout the record especially on the title track and first single “Sink Into Me.” New guitarist Matt Fazzi lends some secondary vocals like TBS’s previous guitarists were known to do, but he’s not nearly as prominent, meaning front man Adam Lazarra’s signature wail carries most of the weight. Lyrically, Lazarra is probably more straightforward than he’s been in the past, touching on things like drug abuse, his failed engagement and the band’s split with former guitarist Fred Maschinero. For the most part, the hooks are still there and the album only stumbles in a few places, such as the mostly forgettable ballad “Where My Mouth Is.” Today’s song is fitting for Labor Day, as it’s about the end of the summer and all the feelings that go along with that. On the whole, New Again may not be as great as the Taking Back Sunday of old, but it’s still a very solid record with plenty to like.Taking Back Sunday - "Summer, Man"
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