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Taking Back Sunday
“Where You Want To Be”
Victory Records
CD Review By Keith Joseph, Rockstarpix.TV
The word “drama” seemed to buzz around and sting Taking Back Sunday about a year ago. After the release of “Tell All Your Friends”, Taking Back Sunday was known to every emo-rock kid on the planet, mostly loved occasionally hated, just like most other bands. With the departure of co-songwriter John Nolan and ex-TBS bassist Shaun Cooper, Taking Back Sunday seemed as if it had its final curtain call as a band. As time went on, with rumors flying everywhere, Fred Mascherino and Matt Rubano saved the band’s departure. With the new band line-up, and a bright future the band released their new born to the public eye in the form of “Where You Want To Be”.
“Set Phasers To The Sun” opens the album with a very pop-rock oriented tune. It is a very catchy opener and allows the listener to get their heart pumping for the new album. Adam Lazzara’s voice is the trademark for the band, at times whiny but always full of emotion. Mascherino’s back up vocals are a little tough to comprehend; many fans will miss the back-ups of former member John Nolan. “Bonus Mosh Pt.2" is a terrific following track. This song is an example of emo-rock at its finest. The chorus is unbelievably addicting and will be in your head all day. The song is fueled by Fred and Eddie Reyes guitar playing and Adam Lazzara’s loud and proclaiming vocals. “A Decade Under The Influence” is a good rock tune, also the band’s first single on the album. Dual vocals from Adam and Fred make the song a good listen, after the song you will be sick of hearing “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“The Union” shows a side that has never been shown by the band on previous tracks. It begins very fast, focusing on Mark O’Connell’s blazing fast drum playing and Matt Rubano’s bass solo. This is a fast-paced, energetic song that was a good-choice as the hump song. “New American Classic” is the first acoustic song that has actually made it on a TBS record. It is very slow, and includes strings and other types of instruments that our outside the usual rock-outfit. It is a good acoustic song but average at best. “One Eighty By Summer” is a great pop-rock song. It is filled with great vocal melodies and is an overall good rock song. This song sounds like something you would have expected on their first album, which is not a bad thing. “Number Five With A Bullet” is a very rock-oriented song. It begins with a simple guitar riff and Lazzara’s vocals and is one of the songs on the album that could be played over and over and not get old. “Little Devotional” showcases great guitar work and a very talented band. This song is filled with great melodies and should the band’s second single on the album. “...Slowdance On The Inside” is a slower song that doesn’t really speed up until the chorus. Lazzara’s vocals are the key part of the song, showing a lot of strength with his vocals. He does this throughout the album, not having a great singing voice but makes up for it with the amount of emotion he lets out with every breath. A typical finisher for any album, none the less.
Taking Back Sunday has been through a lot since the formation of their band. With all the drama behind the band at this point, their future looks brighter than the sun. Look for their next album to be on a major label.
This album would be specifically for fans of bands such as Brand New, The Used and Thursday. Even with the lineup changes, Taking Back Sunday had the ability to put together a very good rock record. Look for this band to be huge sooner than later.
Rating- B+ (8.5)
Significant Tracks: “Set Phasers To The Sun”, “Little Devotional, “The Union”, “Bonus Mosh Pt. 2"
Keith Joseph
www.takingbacksunday.com
www.victoryrecords.com
produced by Michael Giambra / rockstarpix.tv Copyright 2004
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