Taking Back Sunday were never likely to produce the album of 2011. Let’s face it, emo has had its day. Sure, there are still a few traces lying around from the early noughties when the genre was rampant. However the majority of acts have either broken up or changed direction. Not these guys though, despite countless facelifts with members coming and going, Taking Back Sunday have survived this change of musical landscape. Thankfully this self-titled album marks something of a return to their early form.
While 2006 release Louder Now was the album that catapulted the band into the pop music spotlight, mainly due to the single ‘Makedamnsure’. It marked a shift away from the sound that had garnered the band a cult following. While TBS have always tilted towards the punk side of emo, Louder Now and 2009’s New Again, saw the band swap clever guitar arrangements and epic choruses for busy punk tunes and guitar solos.
This latest album, which perhaps does not reaching the same heights as their first two albums, is at least a return to their original sound. Although this much isn’t apparent from opening track ‘El Paso’, a misguided nu-metal venture which thankfully isn’t a sign of things to come. ‘Faith (When I let you down)’ and ‘Best Places To Be a Mum’ make immediate amends marking the return of catchy choruses and call and respond bridges with more vocals than your average gospel choir.
It isn’t all plain sailing after ‘El Paso’ however. ‘Money (Let it go)’ represents a brief relapse into the type of unimaginative, headless muddle of abrasive guitar and shouting which decorated their more recent albums. Another crime by omission is the absence of the token slow-burner. Angst-fuelled shouting may be their bread and butter, but Taking Back Sunday have always proved themselves capable when it came to delicately composed quiet numbers such as ‘My Blue Heaven’ and ‘New American Classic’. Bland curtain closer ‘Call Me in the Mourning’ is the closest we get but ends up falling in between their tried and tested strengths to provide a tame end to the LP.
Taking Back Sunday will probably never write a song as good as ‘Cute Without the ‘E’ (cut from the team)’. They will probably never make an album as good as Where You Want To Be. However for fans who have been disappointed by recent releases, this eponymous album may rekindle some affection for the emo band that refuse to quit.