Taking Back Sunday have been the frontrunners of indie rock since their formation in 1999. I've followed their music through their career, always interested by the way they put music together. Naturally, I was excited to snag their new album "New Again" this week and share my thoughts on the latest from the Long Island quintet. 

"New Again" starts with its namesake song, armed with chanting and some strong harmonies. The alternating a/b vocals remind you that you're listening to a TBS record, and it's comforting. The refrain even drops a Fight Club line, reminding hardcore fans of their video for "Cute (Without the 'E')".

Then then roll into "Sink Into Me", keeping a trend of background chanting and rhythmic clapping, giving the feel of the record a very organic tone. "Lonely, Lonely" follows where singer Adam Lazzara seems to borrow a grungy tone from Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. It's a sound that we've heard before, so it's difficult to pay attention. We're three tracks in and it's already time to grab a snack. You won't be missing much with "Summer, Man," a song where they appropriately feature some Beach-Boys-style oohs as a texture throughout the song.

In "Swing", the heavy-high hat build at the beginning pulls your attention again. The guitars definitely take the spotlight here. With a bridge featuring some echoing vocals, tight harmonies, and slick a/b vocals, you're rocking and rolling again.

To be honest, I was a little thrown off by "Where My Mouth Is". The second the guitar started I thought I had hit a wrong button and shuffled my music, landing on a U2 track. The signature delay paired with an acoustic guitar is the unmistakable style of The Edge. Breaking down with the line, "I've got a strong will, just weak hands, and I don't know what to do with either one of them," this is definitely in keeping with typical TBS style by squeezing in at least one power ballad.

The staccato style of "Cut Me Up Jenny" is refreshing. They chop the guitars up into little bite-size pieces that are easy to swallow. Just when you think this is shaping up to be a pretty good album, they drop "Catholic Knees" on you, an anticlimactic, hackneyed track that could have been copy/pasted from Where You Want To Be, their highly-criticized second album.

"Capital M-E" is definitely a demonstration of Adam's growing vocal talent. This song made me realize 2 things: 1 - Adam is learning that he doesn't always have to sing like a little emo kid; 2 - Taking Back Sunday changes their lineup for every album. Hey guys - leave the drama out of the studio and maintain a little consistency.

At this point, the album is a solid "B." The only thing that would bring it down a notch would be a nod to the 80's. Guess what we get in "Carpathia" - a synthesizer. Really. Listen to it. I'm not even kidding.

The album wraps up with "Everything Must Go", a testament to the maturity of the band over the years. With the best guitar mix and best vocal efforts of the album, the song leaves you thinking, "Why couldn't the whole album sound like this?" It's a true finale, and it's nice to hear an album that saves the best for last.

Overall, the sound was pretty typical for Taking Back Sunday. Too much compression in the mix leaves the guitars muddy and the vocals too soft. Too-little stereo mix means this record doesn't sound any better on your hi-fi than it does in your tiny ear buds. 

I'm calling this one at a "C," but that's how every TBS album starts out with me. I'm pretty sure that it won't leave my iPod for a couple of months, and a year from now I'll realize that it was truly a "B+."

"New Again" is on sale in the iTunes store for $12.99, and it's worth it if you're a TBS fan. If you haven't checked them out, you'll want to check out their first album, "Tell All Your Friends." Then you'll see what these guys are all about.

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