Taking Back Sunday, Twenty
Craft Recordings
Taking Back Sunday need no introduction. A true household name, it feels like these guys have been with us forever. The rather aptly named Twenty aims to celebrate the band’s 20th year, a ram-packed stop-by-stop tour of their most iconic tracks. It’s a non-stop sing-along, guaranteed to have you grinning wildly throughout.
This compilation album is particularly special in how liminal it feels — for the length of the album, you relive your own past. As soon as those deliciously familiar chords signal the start of Cute Without The E, you’re transported back to being that embarrassing teenager that couldn’t skate to save their life. Those cymbals at the start of Liar remind you of the time you were caught theatrically lip-syncing along to it in your room. Tidal Wave’s country-esque vibes remind you of seeing the band live at a festival, sun on your face, screaming back ‘nothing’s gonna save you from the tidal wave!’. With each album that passes, you realise just how long Taking Back Sunday have been a part of your life, and just how grateful you are of this fact.
Aside from being an absolute nostalgia trip, Twenty reminds us of just how LOUD TBS are. These rockers create the most amazing soundscapes; their basslines, guitars and drums layer in a way that entirely immerses you. Be it the slower What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost or the energetic kick that is Sink Into Me, every song assaults your eardrums and floods your mind.
It’s incredibly charming to hear how Adam Lazzara’s voice matures as each album passes. You definitely notice the shift in vocals, but one thing that’s amazing is how consistent the music always is. These guys just can’t create a bad track, never failing to create generation-defining bangers. 2006’s MakeDamnSure packs just as much of a punch as 2016’s Call Come Running, despite the 10 year difference.
Two new tracks close the album, reinforcing the fact that TBS really are just as talented as ever. All Ready To Go is characteristically chaotic, whilst A Song For Dan reminds us of how sentimental and beautiful the softer side of this four-piece can be. We can’t wait to hear these gems live.
Twenty is a perfect way to commemorate a band’s brilliantly raucous journey through the last two decades. It holds moments of sadness, moments of growth and moments of unadulterated joy. Not many albums will make you feel quite as fulfilled as this one. Taking Back Sunday are rock at it’s finest — tell all your friends.
Twenty is out tomorrow via Craft Recordings.