There is always a soft spot in our hearts reserved for those bands of yesteryear, the anthems to our teenage years, the songs we loved, cried, and grew up to, all while trying to make sense out of our hormones and manual clutches. They are the bands that send us into a state of nostalgia, inspire drunken midnight sing-alongs about where you want to be while you passionately tell all your friends about the glory days.
While we are guilty of being sceptical about the classics dropping the ball, Taking Back Sunday have stepped back up to the crease for another innings with their new album, Happiness Is, and we could be in for a long one.
Happiness Is is the sixth studio album from Taking Back Sunday and sees their return to an independent label, which can only be a good thing in the creative department. Along with producers Mike Sapone and Marc Jacob Hudson, we surely must be sitting on a gem of a record.
The album begins with an arbitrary Kanye-esque instrumental that stands out like a sore thumb, but the healing process is stimulated once the first single ‘Flicker, Fade’ jumps the gate. It sweeps you up with a sensual and captivating vocal performance by Adam Lazzara reminiscent of an older model Taking Back Sunday fitted with a brand new engine.
What follows in an eclectic mix of emo-infused, indie-pop tracks and heartfelt alternative rock anthems, closing with the almost cliché acoustic ballad ‘Nothing At All’. It leaves you asking for so much more. Is this fresh coat of paint enough to engage their die hard fans?
The overall feeling of the record lacks the angst of their formative years but a fire still burns, kindling a mature passion that shines throughout. For those old-school puritan fans there is a sense that while we have grown, so has Taking Back Sunday with us, seeing a relative shift in lyrical content and musical expression.
In the production department we find a well rounded soundscape, loud and driving where it needs to be but smooth and liquid throughout. Everything sits where it needs to be in order to bring the audience the best experience on offer. The vocal harmonies are just as expressive as the guitar tones, and the rhythm section doesn’t miss a beat.
While not the greatest album I have heard from Taking Back Sunday, Happiness Is will appeal to new audiences and old-school fans as a solid exhibit of mature contemporary emo rock.
7/10
Reviewer: Jack Lundie