New Again
Encyclopedia
New Again is the fourth studio album
by American rock
band Taking Back Sunday
, released through Warner Bros. Records
on June 1, 2009. It is the first and only album to include guitarist Matthew Fazzi after the departure of Fred Mascherino
in late-2007. The album was produced by David Kahne
, with a selection of tracks also produced by Matt Squire
. Additional production on all tracks was done by Jamie Siegel.
Later on, the band would later announce that Fazzi and Rubano are no longer part of the band, they were not exactly kicked out, but rather "let go". Reason are that John Nolan
and Shaun Cooper
had reunited with the band only to release their eponymous LP Taking Back Sunday
.
page on November 6, 2008. It was chosen because Adam Lazzara felt that they were a new band; he said, "We kicked around a bunch of different titles, but that one always remained the top of the list, and that’s because it really does feel like a new band." A song off of the album, "Carpathia", was made available as a free download on December 21, 2008 to anybody that purchased a Taking Back Sunday Holiday Card Pack. The band then released a 7" vinyl with "Carpathia" and a live version of "Catholic Knees" on April 18.
The album's first single, "Sink Into Me
", was released on KROQ-FM
on April 27, 2009. It was also released online via the iTunes Store
on April 21. The music video for the first single premiered on May 11 on MTV.com
, MTV2, MTVu and MTV Hits.
In the past, the band have expressed that the number 152 always appears on the covers of their albums. On the Tell All Your Friends
artwork it is simply written in the corner next to the album's title. On the artwork for Where You Want to Be
, there is a sign saying "next exit 152 miles". On the Louder Now
artwork, the price on the theater's sign is "$1.52", and on the New Again artwork, it has been hidden to a further extent. Hanging from the rear view mirror of the car are three fuzzy dice
, showing the numbers 1, 5 and 2 respectively. Additionally, the CD design references the band's home of Nassau County, Long Island
, with the Area code 516
appearing underneath the speedometer (which reads as 152 mph).
.
Several of the songs include references to a woman named Jenny. These songs are "Cut Me Up Jenny", "Winter Passing", and "Didn't See That Coming" (the name is substituted with the word "gently" in the final chorus in a similar way as "gently" alternates with the name in chorus of "Cut Me Up Jenny"). Adam Lazzara has stated that Jenny is no one in particular, but rather "whoever you want her to be".
, selling 48,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album also debuted at number 31 on the Australian ARIA Charts
. This is the only album by Taking Back Sunday to not have a certification from the RIAA.
. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press praised the record highly, stating that it "leaps forward as the best album of Taking Back Sunday's career to date". For Matthew Niner of Pop Matters, "they have produced another solid album that cements their reputation as one of the most genuinely affecting and consistent bands in the current scene". Alternative Press named it the number one album of the year 2009.
In April 2010, Adam Lazzara answered questions on his formspring, commenting that New Again "was a gigantic step backwards" and that he was "not fully satisfied with what [he] put out". In June 2010, Eddie Reyes answered a question on his formspring commenting that he doesn't hate New Again "its just my least favorite album. This album was the worst album we've ever created." John Nolan stated that this album was the worst Taking Back Sunday album the band created constructively. He went on to state that he also did like 'New Again' and his favorite song of the album was 'Everything Must Go'
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
, released through Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
on June 1, 2009. It is the first and only album to include guitarist Matthew Fazzi after the departure of Fred Mascherino
Fred Mascherino
Frederick Paul Mascherino is an American musician best known for his work as lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist in alternative rock band Taking Back Sunday...
in late-2007. The album was produced by David Kahne
David Kahne
David Kahne is an American record producer. Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and then became notable for his role as in-house producer and engineer at 415 Records, the first American new wave music label, and for his subsequent roles as Vice President of A&R at Columbia...
, with a selection of tracks also produced by Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
. Additional production on all tracks was done by Jamie Siegel.
Later on, the band would later announce that Fazzi and Rubano are no longer part of the band, they were not exactly kicked out, but rather "let go". Reason are that John Nolan
John Nolan
John Thomas Nolan is the lead singer/guitarist of Straylight Run and the guitarist/co-vocalist of Taking Back Sunday. Nolan left Taking Back Sunday in 2003 and during March 2010 rejoined Taking Back Sunday with Shaun Cooper, who left during his first run with the band, reforming the Tell All Your...
and Shaun Cooper
Shaun Cooper
Shaun Cooper is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Bournemouth.-Football career:...
had reunited with the band only to release their eponymous LP Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday (album)
Taking Back Sunday is the eponymous album released through Warner Bros. Records on June 28, 2011. Produced by Eric Valentine. It's the first record with John Nolan and Shaun Cooper since Tell All Your Friends in 2002.-Background:...
.
Release and promotion
The name of the album, New Again, was announced through the band's MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page on November 6, 2008. It was chosen because Adam Lazzara felt that they were a new band; he said, "We kicked around a bunch of different titles, but that one always remained the top of the list, and that’s because it really does feel like a new band." A song off of the album, "Carpathia", was made available as a free download on December 21, 2008 to anybody that purchased a Taking Back Sunday Holiday Card Pack. The band then released a 7" vinyl with "Carpathia" and a live version of "Catholic Knees" on April 18.
The album's first single, "Sink Into Me
Sink Into Me
"Sink into Me" is a song by the American rock band Taking Back Sunday. It was released as a single on April 27, 2009. The song is featured on the band's fourth and latest album, New Again, which was released on June 2, 2009...
", was released on KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
on April 27, 2009. It was also released online via the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on April 21. The music video for the first single premiered on May 11 on MTV.com
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, MTV2, MTVu and MTV Hits.
Artwork
The same day the band released the date the album would be out, they released the album artwork on their website.In the past, the band have expressed that the number 152 always appears on the covers of their albums. On the Tell All Your Friends
Tell All Your Friends
- Vinyl Pressings :Tell All Your Friends has been pressed four times by Victory Records, with the first two featuring artwork that differs from the CD.- Singles :*"Cute Without the 'E' "*"Great Romances of the 20th Century"...
artwork it is simply written in the corner next to the album's title. On the artwork for Where You Want to Be
Where You Want to Be
-Singles:*"A Decade Under the Influence", released in June 2004*"This Photograph Is Proof ", released in November 2004*"Set Phasers to Stun", released in March 2005-Personnel:*Adam Lazzara – guitar, lead vocals...
, there is a sign saying "next exit 152 miles". On the Louder Now
Louder Now
Louder Now is the third album by American rock band, Taking Back Sunday, released on April 25, 2006 through Hollywood Records. The first single off the album is "MakeDamnSure". The song "Error Operator" has been released on the Fantastic Four 2005 film soundtrack, but has been revamped for Louder...
artwork, the price on the theater's sign is "$1.52", and on the New Again artwork, it has been hidden to a further extent. Hanging from the rear view mirror of the car are three fuzzy dice
Fuzzy dice
Fuzzy dice, known in the British Isles as furry dice or fluffy dice, are an automotive decoration consisting of two over-sized plush dice which hang from the rear-view mirror.-Origin and history:...
, showing the numbers 1, 5 and 2 respectively. Additionally, the CD design references the band's home of Nassau County, Long Island
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, with the Area code 516
Area code 516
Area code 516 is used for Long Island's Nassau County, located directly east of the New York City borough of Queens and west of Suffolk County....
appearing underneath the speedometer (which reads as 152 mph).
Special Edition
Taking Back Sunday offered a special edition package, which came with a small model car with decals, an air freshener, three dice, a 2GB USB storage key, and a [fake] drivers license featuring one of the band members. The CD itself included an additional "making of the album" DVD which also featured a track-by-track commentary from the band, as well as an autographed booklet.Lyrical Themes
There are several recurring themes on the album, such as guns ("Cut Me Up Jenny", "Long Time Comin'"), houses ("Carpathia", "Everything Must Go"), and past drug use ("Lonely, Lonely", "Summer, Man" and "Where My Mouth Is"). The lyrics referencing houses are metaphoric of Adam Lazzara's relationship with his ex-fiancee, Chauntelle Dupree, guitarist of the band EisleyEisley
Eisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings and their cousin , all of whom were born and live in Texas. Although the band's name translates to ice island in several Germanic languages, it was actually selected by the bandmates because of its link to the Star Wars saga...
.
Several of the songs include references to a woman named Jenny. These songs are "Cut Me Up Jenny", "Winter Passing", and "Didn't See That Coming" (the name is substituted with the word "gently" in the final chorus in a similar way as "gently" alternates with the name in chorus of "Cut Me Up Jenny"). Adam Lazzara has stated that Jenny is no one in particular, but rather "whoever you want her to be".
Sales
New Again debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 48,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album also debuted at number 31 on the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. This is the only album by Taking Back Sunday to not have a certification from the RIAA.
Reception
New Again received generally favorable reviews from critics, acquiring an aggregrated metascore of 77% on review accumulator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press praised the record highly, stating that it "leaps forward as the best album of Taking Back Sunday's career to date". For Matthew Niner of Pop Matters, "they have produced another solid album that cements their reputation as one of the most genuinely affecting and consistent bands in the current scene". Alternative Press named it the number one album of the year 2009.
In April 2010, Adam Lazzara answered questions on his formspring, commenting that New Again "was a gigantic step backwards" and that he was "not fully satisfied with what [he] put out". In June 2010, Eddie Reyes answered a question on his formspring commenting that he doesn't hate New Again "its just my least favorite album. This album was the worst album we've ever created." John Nolan stated that this album was the worst Taking Back Sunday album the band created constructively. He went on to state that he also did like 'New Again' and his favorite song of the album was 'Everything Must Go'
Track listing
Personnel
- Adam Lazzara - lead vocals
- Matthew Fazzi - guitar, keyboard, backing vocals
- Eddie Reyes - guitar
- Matt Rubano - bass, backing vocals
- Mark O'Connell - drums, percussion
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | June 1, 2009 |
| Canada | |
| United States | June 2, 2009 |
| South Korea | |
| Australia | June 5, 2009 |
| Japan | June 10, 2009 |
| Brazil | June 18, 2009 |