Taking Back Sunday Band • Page 16

You did list the best songs off S/T, so I respect your opinion

 

It's so weird how fondly everyone looks back on New Again lately. That album is still terrible save for like Everything Must Go

 

I'll agree with the first part. I remember everyone hating it and being relatively all alone in liking it among TBS fans. I like that everyone has warmed up to it.

 

I remember initially liking it, but I can't go back to it now. Some of the songs are okay, but some make me actually cringe.

 

I'd say Swing, Carpathia, Cut me up Jenny, Summer Man, Where My Mouth Is, EMG are strong cuts. Although I'm definitely in the minority and don't think EMG is nearly as great as everyone else thinks it is.

 

Forgot one!

 

I love "Lonely, Lonely". Such a jam.

 

Yeah, New Again has aged gracefully. Lonely, Lonely, Carpathia, EMG, WMMI, Summer, and Jenny are all choice cuts. And Swing is the shit and should be a set staple.

 

I like New Again a hell of a lot more than the self titled and Happiness is.

 

So did the consensus on new again flip then? Everyone likes it now?

 

It sure looks like it. I'm so confused by it. The album is so repetitive, a mess lyrically, and honestly just flat out boring.

 

As a fan of this band, most of these criticisms apply to most of their albums, haha

 

self titled bums me out a bit because of how good the b-sides were. take out who are you, money, and falling and replace them with mackey sasser, not going anywhere, and you were right. would have been among their best.

 

I would argue to take out "Faith" in order to make room for "Morning Sickness" as well.

 

finally got my copy of Tidal Wave in the mail today. the Turquoise Swirl looks so fuckin beautiful

 

I think people on this site have liked it for awhile. When this and the tidal wave thread were getting responses throughout the year NA was getting love. I still think a majority of fans still dislike it that aren't on this site. If they were to bust out a lot of NA tracks live, I think the crowd response would be bad.

 

haha that's what it seem like. I still just can't get into it, at all.

 

I'm a fan, ha, so I'm cool with it

This makes sense.

 

I can say personally that I didn't get into New Again until 2012 and had pretty much no exposure to music journalism or critical and commercial reception. Just as a Taking Back Sunday fan, I had absolutely no problem enjoying the hell out of that record. It's still by far their catchiest album in my book. It took the parts I really liked of Louder Now and made it into a whole album.

I was actually pretty upset when I started to get into music reviews and online music reception and seeing that a lot of people hated it. I think it gets an unfair view and is a really great rock record.

 

Love New Again. I still find it their most interesting, musically. Production-wise, I'd place it as their second-best sounding, behind Hapiness Is.

The lyrics are probably my least favourite among any in their catalogue, and jarringly different in style from those on previous albums that teen me initially connected with, but I can recognise them as a necessary step toward maturation, and also forgive their clumsiness as NA was Adam's first release where he'd written all the words, and admittedly was unsteady when it came to taking on that responsibility.

I have a vast appreciation for the risks taken on that record. Odd time signatures, three-part harmonies, abandoning dual vocals, including bass solo in "Carpathia", making songs so unlike Taking Back Sunday when they were known prior as having a signature sound. Not that any of it paid off in sales figures or fans gained, but it oozed ambition and made a statement that however lucrative rehashing Louder Now might have been, the band seemed more interested in creating art, in getting weird and painting with new colours, so to speak.

Glad enough time has finally passed from New Again's release that fans who were bitter about it being different are coming around to realise it's a solid album.

 

I could be wrong but wasn't New Again their most critically acclaimed album? I remember reading a lot of great reviews, particularly ALternative Press and Entertainment Weekly.

 

I think that's because Scott loved the record. From what I remember, that album was met with harsh criticism and that's when TBS turned their back on it. I'm glad happiness is and tidal wave came out the way they did, otherwise I would have been totally pissed about them canning Fazzi. I think NA is better than Self Titled or HI.

 

New Again by Taking Back Sunday

It did well with critics, but louder now's first week outsold it by over 100k.

 

New Again got blasted by Rolling Stone, that's all I remember. I know Louder Now was universally loved.

Anyway, I enjoy all three records and would like to eventually have their entire discography on vinyl.

 

Fucking THIS.

I've championed NA since it was released and this summarizes what I've always liked most about the album. Musically it is their best and the rest of their catalogue is no competition.