Taking Back Sunday
Louder Now

THE REVIEW

Taking Back Sunday are, if nothing else, definitely likeable. One of the few bands that (willingly or not) belongs to the "emo" scene, whose members don’t spend all their time being aloof or pretending to have a broken heart and other such nonsense. A serious band.

"Louder Now" is their third full-length, and it can safely be said that the "emo" of their debut is definitively buried (can one belong to the emo scene without playing emo? The answer, strange as it may seem, is "yes") in favor of pure rock sounds. Perhaps radio-friendly, but still rock.
Solid riffs, pounding drums, driving rhythms that keep you in time, paired with lots and lots of melody. One could say there’s a bit too much melody and that perhaps a "Louder Now" that was a little harsher would have been better, but it's fine as is. And then there are the choruses. Damn, there are enough choruses on this record to keep any band going for at least 4-5 albums. All damnably catchy: it takes effort not to join Lazzara in singing.

Perhaps the most die-hard fans (do they even exist?) of the edulcorated sounds of the first album will turn up their noses at TBS’s shift, but personally, I am more than happy with it, even though I consider the first album a gem, and from what I’ve seen, “Louder Now” seems to have garnered considerable approval from the group’s fanbase. And the few tracks that aren’t exactly unforgettable are balanced by a favorable rate of hits like the driving "Spin", or the opening trio "What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?", "Liar", and "MakeDamnSure", as well as "Error:Operator" in which the duet between Lazzara and Fred Mascherino perhaps brings the album to its peak, recalling the days of the good Chris Nolan...

Probably due to its "lightness", it won't win over the sympathies of many DeBasers, but for those less elitist willing to try something new that isn't demanding, I feel inclined to recommend it.