Taking Back Sunday, the Long Island fivesome who have been through a
slew of members since their 1999 inception, are often treated with
reverence by bands and fans. There’s no denying that the band, which
released their major-label debut, Louder Now, in 2006, can write
a solid emo number, complete with smartly placed hooks and just the
right amount of edginess. But the thing about perfecting the formula
for catchy, likable rock songs is that eventually all your songs become
formulaic. And that’s boring. The congregation that worships at the TBS
altar may gasp in horror, but New Again, the band’s fourth
album, is basically 11 versions of the same song, dulled to flattened
effect by its producers. It’s pointless to comment on individual songs
because they all blend together. The only thing you remember when the
album is over is that you heard some music and it was reasonably
decent. But now you want to go listen to a band that takes chances and
grows up on each successive record. — Emily Zemler
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2009.
