New Again
New Again | ||||
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Studio album by Taking Back Sunday | ||||
Released |
June 1, 2009 (see release history) | |||
Recorded | Late 2008–Early 2009 | |||
Genre | Pop punk,[1] post-hardcore[2] | |||
Length | 38:01 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | David Kahne, Matt Squire, Jamie Siegel | |||
Taking Back Sunday chronology | ||||
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New Again is the fourth studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday, released through Warner Bros. Records on June 1, 2009. It is the first and only album to include guitarist Matthew Fazzi after the departure of Fred Mascherino in late 2007. The album was produced by David Kahne, with a selection of tracks also produced by Matt Squire. Additional production on all tracks was done by Jamie Siegel.
In 2010, after promotion for the album had largely finished, the band announced that Fazzi and bass guitarist Matthew Rubano were no longer part of the band. According to lead vocalist Adam Lazzara, they were amicably "let go." Former band members John Nolan and Shaun Cooper soon reunited with the band to release their eponymous LP Taking Back Sunday in 2011. As of release of their eponymous album, the songs from New Again are almost never played. The reason for this is unknown.
Release and promotion
The name of the album, New Again, was announced through the band's MySpace page on November 6, 2008. It was chosen because Adam Lazzara felt that they were a new band; he said, "We kicked around a bunch of different titles, but that one always remained the top of the list, and that’s because it really does feel like a new band." A song off of the album, "Carpathia", was made available as a free download on December 21, 2008 to anybody that purchased a Taking Back Sunday Holiday Card Pack. The band then released a 7" vinyl with "Carpathia" and a live version of "Catholic Knees" on April 18.
The album's first single, "Sink Into Me", was released on KROQ-FM on April 27, 2009.[3] It was also released online via the iTunes Store on April 21. The music video for the first single premiered on May 11 on MTV.com, MTV2, MTVu and MTV Hits. "New Again" was released as a single on July 24.[4] "Where My Mouth Is" impacted radio on September 1.[5]
Artwork
The same day the band released the date the album would be out, they released the album artwork on their website.
In the past, the band have expressed that the number 152 always appears on the covers of their albums. On the Tell All Your Friends artwork it is simply written in the corner next to the album's title. On the artwork for Where You Want to Be, there is a sign saying "next exit 152 miles". On the Louder Now artwork, the price on the theater's sign is "$1.52", and on the New Again artwork, it has been hidden to a further extent. Hanging from the rear view mirror of the car are three fuzzy dice, showing the numbers 1, 5 and 2 respectively. Additionally, the CD design references the band's home of Nassau County, Long Island, with the Area code 516 appearing underneath the speedometer (which reads as 152 mph).
Special edition
Taking Back Sunday offered a special edition package, which came with a small model car with decals, an air freshener, three dice, a 2GB USB storage key, and a [fake] drivers license featuring one of the band members. The CD itself included an additional "making of the album" DVD which also featured a track-by-track commentary from the band, as well as an autographed booklet.[6]
Reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Alternative Press | [8] |
Billboard | (favorable) [9] |
Entertainment Weekly | A- [10] |
Kerrang! | [11] |
PopMatters | [12] |
Q | [2] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
Spin | (5/10)[14] |
Sputnikmusic | [15] |
Critical response
New Again received generally favorable reviews from critics, acquiring an weighted average score of 77% on review aggregation website Metacritic.[7] Scott Heisel of Alternative Press praised the record highly, stating that it "leaps forward as the best album of Taking Back Sunday's career to date".[8] For Matthew Niner of PopMatters, "they have produced another solid album that cements their reputation as one of the most genuinely affecting and consistent bands in the current scene".[12] Alternative Press named it the number one album of the year 2009.
Jon Pareles of The New York Times gave it a favorable review and said that "Such obvious imitation [of U2] isn’t good strategy; it diminishes well-made songs. Taking Back Sunday is better off merging its old blurted troubles with its new attention to detail."[16] Edwin McFee of Hot Press, however, gave it a mixed review with the header: "Emo pin-ups milk last moments of glory."[17]
Commercial performance and legacy
New Again debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200, selling 48,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[18] The album also debuted at number 31 on the Australian ARIA Charts.
In April 2010, Adam Lazzara answered questions on his formspring,[19] commenting that New Again "was a gigantic step backwards" and that he was "not fully satisfied with what [he] put out".[20]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Taking Back Sunday.
- "New Again" – 3:33
- "Sink into Me" – 3:03
- "Lonely, Lonely" – 2:49
- "Summer, Man" – 3:51
- "Swing" – 3:26
- "Where My Mouth Is" – 3:52
- "Cut Me Up Jenny" – 3:52
- "Catholic Knees" – 2:48
- "Capital M-E" – 2:49
- "Carpathia" – 3:09
- "Everything Must Go" – 4:44
- Bonus tracks
iTunes Pre-Order Bonus Track | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Carpathia" (Dance Dicaprio version) | 3:46 |
iTunes Bonus Track Version | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Long Time Comin'" | 2:38 |
13. | "Sink Into Me" (Music video) | 3:15 |
Limited Edition Bonus Tracks | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
12. | "Didn't See That Coming" (Japan, South Korea & pre-order only) | 3:07 |
13. | "Catholic Knees (26th St. Shakedown)" (Pre-order only) | 3:09 |
Limited Edition DVD | ||
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No. | Title | Length |
1. | "The Making of the album" |
Personnel
Personnel per sleeve.[21]
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Release history
Country | Date |
---|---|
United Kingdom | June 1, 2009 |
Canada | |
United States | June 2, 2009 |
South Korea | |
Australia | June 5, 2009 |
Japan | June 10, 2009 |
Brazil | June 18, 2009 |
References
- 1 2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "New Again - Taking Back Sunday". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- 1 2 "Taking Back Sunday - New Again". Q. July 2009: 117.
The result is an impressive but super slick collection of post-hardcore floor-fillers that's increasingly more "post" than "hardcore.
- ↑ "TBS Radio Single". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "iTunes - Music - New Again - Single by Taking Back Sunday". iTunes. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ↑ "AllAccess.com Alternative eWeekly". AllAccess. September 1, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ↑ "TBS Carformercial". YouTube. 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- 1 2 "Critic Reviews for New Again". Metacritic. CBS interactive. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- 1 2 Scott Heisel (May 14, 2009). "Taking Back Sunday - New Again". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ Jason Lipshutz. "New Again". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2009-06-26. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ↑ Andy Greenwald (May 27, 2009). "New Again Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ "Taking Back Sunday - New Again". Kerrang!. July 2009: 52. Issue #1263.
- 1 2 Matthew Niner (June 8, 2009). "Taking Back Sunday: New Again". Popmatters. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ Christian Hoard (June 8, 2009). "New Again: Taking Back Sunday". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ David Bevan (May 20, 2009). "Taking Back Sunday, 'New Again'". Spin. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ Channing Freeman (May 28, 2009). "Review: Taking Back Sunday - New Again". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ Jon Pareles (May 31, 2009). "New CDs (Taking Back Sunday: "New Again")". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ↑ Edwin McFee (August 24, 2009). "New Again". Hot Press. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ↑ "Information Not Found". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ↑ "Adam Answers Your Questions". Taking Back Sunday. 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ↑ "what do you think of New Again, is it under-rated?, and that maybe sometimes fan don't realize bands can't act and be the same way as they were during there highschool years? | Formspring". Formspring.me. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ↑ New Again (Sleeve). Taking Back Sunday. Warner Bros. 2009. 9362-49799-6.
External links
- New Again at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
- Taking Back Sunday Official website