Louder Now, Taking Back Sunday
Ken Flenniken
Issue date: 4/26/06 Section: Music
I distinctly remember the overwhelming anticipation for Taking Back Sunday's debut album, Tell All Your Friends. I remember buying it the day it came out and being overwhelmed by the sheer emotion in every song. Adam Lazzara and John Nolan's tag team vocals were nothing short of spectacular. They quickly gained popularity, but suddenly, disaster struck. News came pouring out of every website and magazine stating that both John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper had left Taking Back Sunday. They recruited Matt Rubano to play bass and Fred Mascherino to fill in Nolan's guitar and vocal responsibilities. Both new members were from the band Breaking Pangea. They entered the studio to record their second album, Where You Want To Be. While the album lacks the intensity of Tell All Your Friends, it had really good songs like "Set Phasers To Stun," "This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)," and my personal favorite, "A Decade Under The Influence."
Now we have Louder Now, which I had high hopes for. I was hoping that Adam would allow Fred Mascherino to write more lyrically. While I believe that this did occur, I must say that Louder Now is one of the laziest, worst produced albums that I have heard in a long time. The first thing I noticed was that Adam's voice is almost no longer distinguishable from Freds. Most of the time, you can't tell who is singing. This is a huge step backwards for the band. The next thing is that all of the songs are much more radio friendly. I do not mind radio friendly music, but this is just bad. The first single, "MakeDamnSure," sounds like every other song on the album. It really feels like Adam just woke up to sing this album. Tied for best songs on the album are "Spin," an up tempo rock song and "Error Operator," which is the only song on the album that you can distinguish between the two singers. At the bottom is the ode to Dashboard Confessional called "Divine Intervention" and then there is the song "Miami." "Miami" is, by far, the worst Taking Back Sunday song ever. It has an annoying intro, incredibly lazy lyrics, and a misplaced 80's hair rock guitar solo, just ouch. So please, if you are in love with "MakeDamnSure," then by all means, purchase this. However, if you are looking towards this album they way I was, please skip.
For Fans Of: Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Ashlee Simpson
Now we have Louder Now, which I had high hopes for. I was hoping that Adam would allow Fred Mascherino to write more lyrically. While I believe that this did occur, I must say that Louder Now is one of the laziest, worst produced albums that I have heard in a long time. The first thing I noticed was that Adam's voice is almost no longer distinguishable from Freds. Most of the time, you can't tell who is singing. This is a huge step backwards for the band. The next thing is that all of the songs are much more radio friendly. I do not mind radio friendly music, but this is just bad. The first single, "MakeDamnSure," sounds like every other song on the album. It really feels like Adam just woke up to sing this album. Tied for best songs on the album are "Spin," an up tempo rock song and "Error Operator," which is the only song on the album that you can distinguish between the two singers. At the bottom is the ode to Dashboard Confessional called "Divine Intervention" and then there is the song "Miami." "Miami" is, by far, the worst Taking Back Sunday song ever. It has an annoying intro, incredibly lazy lyrics, and a misplaced 80's hair rock guitar solo, just ouch. So please, if you are in love with "MakeDamnSure," then by all means, purchase this. However, if you are looking towards this album they way I was, please skip.
For Fans Of: Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Ashlee Simpson
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