Taking Back Sunday Slap A “New” Sticker On Themselves

Our look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to the new album by Taking Back Sunday, New Again, which arrives in stores tomorrow: • “The three-part harmonies of ‘Carpathia’ and the rebellious but catchy kiss-off ‘Capital M-E,’ as well as the epic rocker ‘Everything Must Go,’ not only make New Again the band’s best album, but one of this year’s best as well.” [Glenn Gamboa, Newsday] • “The only pockmark on this otherwise stellar album is ‘Capital M-E,’ which should’ve been relegated to B-side status. Of course, that’s the one song that spells out Lazzara’s M.O. in plain English: ‘The nicest man I ever met/Was more malicious than malcontent/He taught me how to hold my tongue/And wait to strike until their backs were turned.’ So to all future victims of the singer’s vitriol: You’ve been warned.” [Scott Heisel, Alternative Press] • “Taking Back Sunday will not be making that perfect landing for their team. They will not be appearing on a Wheaties box anytime soon. They will not be whisked away by a mustached Ukranian man. New Again is part of a highlight reel that zeroes in on disappointment and raises questions from fans who want answers. Answers, though, are unlikely to come, and by the time the reel is about to wrap it up, there will be few people sticking around to hear them out.” [Chris Fallon, AbsolutePunk] • “Taking Back Sunday is better off merging its old blurted troubles with its new attention to detail, the way it does in ‘Sink Into Me,’ which juggles the ‘hey! hey!’ chants and buzz-saw guitar of basic punk with hand claps, meter changes and a joyfully self-loathing emo-pop chorus: ‘Come on and have your way with me.’ ” [Jon Pareles, NYT]