Review Summary: You held on tight and for dear life, but you'll never be happy.
It's a rare occasion when a band can stray from their roots and suddenly find their way back to them while carving out a new path along the way. Taking Back Sunday has done it with their 6th studio album release. Rather than straying from the sound that defined them and a whole era or trying to recreate it, they sound like they're just being themselves. You'll hear the Taking Back Sunday you've come to love and a Taking Back Sunday you'll learn to love spilling out from every nook and cranny of this album. It's not the sound of a band trying to tell you who they were and who they've become, but more so a series of Freudian slips & trademark quirks all blanketed by a new air of confidence. Imagine your best friend going away at a young age and suddenly you're reunited as adults. You can sense maturity, seriousness & new found focus in everything from their speech to their gestures. These aren't negative characteristics to have. They just aren't what you want from your childhood friend. Naturally, you begin to slightly resent them for not being the person they once was. You sit in silence as they tell you about their travels. In that same instance, they crack a joke that reminds you that they are, at their core, the same best friend from years ago and memories start flooding back; putting you at ease. Only that glimpse was needed to remember exactly who they are and start to accept who they've become.
The album starts off with an admittedly aimless intro. Violins arise from nothingness and grow in numbers. They begin to sound more urgent. Ambient voices break through the sea of sound as if to try to guide you towards something. Anything. Things begin to sound even more dire. Then, it all abruptly ends. This leads us to the first single, 'Flicker Fade.' This song thrives off of its' own energy. Underneath all of that fervor are hollow lyrics during the verses that only hint at a meaning. The chorus and bridge is what makes this song memorable in terms of lyrics. "You live your life like you're not in control. Like you're playing a role." It's critical without pointing a finger. Instead, it urges you to break what ever vicious cycle you have placed yourself in. Taking Back Sunday usually isn't a band that highlight solutions. So, this is a welcome change in pace. The guitars seem wistful during the verses. They lay a bare foundation for Adam to croon over. The guitars never explode during the chorus. They just strengthen ten fold. They lift the vocals to new heights but never overpower them. The drumming is fantastic. Unexpected fills at every turn. It gives the song depth. The single ends in typical Taking Back Sunday fashion; soaring, dueling vocals, but the execution is more carefully orchestrated.
"All The Way" is a more subdued Taking Back Sunday offering. Humble and gleeful lyrics dominate all 3 minutes and 46 seconds. They paint a picture of loving someone unconditionally to the point where you start changing yourself for the better. This is evident when he happily sings "I ain't the first man you been with and I don't care at all. That jealous boy inside me, I taught him how to crawl." The chorus is repetitious, but it serves the purpose of hammering home a point. The drums stand out on this song and the rest of the album. They induce endless head nodding. The song is pretty tame until it all unravels at the end. "They Don't Have Any Friends" is one of the more interesting songs on this album. The guitars are menacing from the beginning and never let up. Lazzara sings "I'm not angry, I'm not anything at all" in an almost guttural delivery. This is right before the chorus kicks and he reminds you that he still can effortlessly take his vocals into glass breaking territory. One last powerful scream before the final chorus shows that Taking Back Sunday aren't afraid to lose control. These are the moments that leave you with no choice but to liken them to moments on their early records.
This album is full of songs that are more disciplined rather than restrained. They never lack energy. You can draw parallels between every album of theirs in certain spots during this record. The nostalgia isn't forced or constructed. It seems to just happen from time to time. If there's one misstep on this album, it has to be 'Like You For.' While the verses are interesting enough, the chorus sounds like something from a 90s sitcom. I can't help but feel like I've heard it a million times before. It's not a bad song. It's just forgettable. The similar structure of songs become glaring by the time you get to the end of this album. 'Verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus' is the recipe most of the time. Though, they spice it up enough for this formula to be forgiven. The greatest thing Taking Back Sunday has achieved in a number of years is the crafting the beautiful "Better Homes And Gardens." It details an imminent and inevitable divorce. It seems like the husband in this situation is venting throughout the whole song. Though, if you listen closer, the song oozes acceptance. Every time Adam feebly says "you'll never be happy," there's a feeling that he has come to terms with the fact that it's over, but his significant other will never be satisfied by anybody or anyone.
That lyric says a great deal about the mind state of the band. The TAYF era Taking Back Sunday asks "Why can't you just be happy" in frustration. The current Taking Back Sunday exclaims "you'll never be happy" in order to accept what they can't control & retain their sanity. Not everyone can be pleased and they're okay with it. All they can do is progress and move forward the best way they know how. I'm sure even more great music will come as a result of this attitude. This new state of mind may be what happiness is.
