Taking Back Sunday – 152 (Album Review)
Taking Back Sunday – 152
Released: October 27, 2023
Lineup:
Adam Lazzara // Vocals
John Nolan // Guitar/Vocals
Mark O’Connell // Drums
Shaun Cooper // Bass
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Odds are if you’re an old school emo kid, when Taking Back Sunday announced at the end of August they’d be releasing their long-awaited 8th studio album, 152, at the end of October, you would have been losing your minds. That time has flown by and we’ve finally arrived in the final week of spooky season, meaning it’s almost time until the album is released.
‘Amphetamine Smiles’ kicks off the record, and it immediately has melancholic vibes with a soft acoustic guitar before Adam Lazzara’s husky vocals begin. The advantage of being a band for as long as TBS have been active, is that they sound fantastic as a cohesive unit. Adam and John Nolan have their harmonies down pat and they sound great together. Next comes ‘S’old’ which has been one regular rotation in my playlist since it’s release a few weeks ago. There’s something so satisfying about saying that you’re ‘S’old’ rather than saying you’re old (at least once you hit 30!), and screaming along with Adam throughout the almost 3 minute run time. Shaun Cooper is almost working overtime with the bassline on this one as well as it’s more of a bass-driven offering. I feel like this is one that is definitely going to go off when played live, especially when TBS’s fanbase has grown with the band and can relate to the lyrics.
‘The One’ is next and the first time hearing it, I felt like I could have been listening to The Killers with Adam sounding a bit like vocalist Brandon Flowers for the opening verse. At 3 minutes and 18 seconds ‘The One’ is the longest track on 152 and while musically it’s a little slow, it definitely doesn’t feel like a 3 minute track. I was a bit disappointed because it felt like it was ending just as I got into it, however, I was also on the verge of crying so maybe that’s for the best! It’s not exactly a sad track, but something about it just made me super emotional. It’s followed up by ‘Keep Going’ which is a complete 180 from the preceding, sounding a lot more upbeat musically and the vocals are faster which adds to the whole feel of the song. ‘Nobody knows the trouble I see, nobody knows the trouble you’ve been’ is one of the driving lyrics of ‘Keep Going’, and is one of my favourites, along with ‘the problem isn’t that I’ve changed, the problem is that you’ve stayed the same’ which is something I’m sure a lot of people are going to resonate with, especially when you feel like you’ve grown as a human, but the people around you maybe haven’t and it’s a source of negativity.
We do another 180 back to a more emotional song with ‘I Am The Only One Who Knows You’, and as someone who loved the really long song titles on some of TBS’ earlier albums (‘Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team) anyone?), I appreciated the length of the title. I think it’s another one on 152 that’s going to pull on a lot of people’s heartstrings, especially with the raw emotion you can feel and hear in Adam’s vocals. There’s a lot of synth being utilised, and it’s nice to see that the band are still using lots of different elements during the production process. Get ready to hold your lighters and phone torches up during live performances of this one.
‘Quit Trying’ marks the start of the 2nd half of the record, and musically it’s probably one of the strongest. There’s a bit of synth on this one as well, but the band just sound super tight and cohesive here. The bass and guitar parts compliment each other beautifully, with Mark O’Connell keeping the whole thing tight and together on the drums. If you feel like being emotional but having a bit of a dance, then ‘Lightbringer’ is going to be a song that you really enjoy. With the synth and guitar, it’s going to have you wanting to move your feet, with Adam’s vocals keeping you enthralled in their rawness, and Mark’s drums giving you a really good guide of what the beat should be. John Nolan has a great little solo on ‘Lightbringer’ in the second half too, which is always nice to hear because he’s such a great player. ‘New Music Friday’ wins the award for best song title on 152, and has probably the best drum part on the album as well. It’s another one of the ‘dancier’ tracks, as well as having a couple of opportunities for the signature ‘getting the crowd to crouch down and then pop up’ moments that bands like to do a lot at concerts so beware of that when you go to see TBS live on tour!
‘Juice 2 Me’ is the second to last track and Adam and John have some beautiful harmonies that help the song not to feel too similar to the ones that have already been heard. It’s an interesting choice of song title though, because for the life of me, I can’t figure out where it came from in terms of the lyrics. ‘I love you but I’d rather live without you’ is repeated during the closing stages of ‘Juice 2 Me’, and it’s another of the super relatable lyrics on the album, and one that I feel a lot of people are going to be able to apply to situations in their own lives that they think of when they hear it. Lastly, (and a little sadly!) is ‘The Stranger’. Throughout this song, ‘It shouldn’t have to be this god damn hard’ is repeated and there’s just so much emotion put into the vocals from both Adam and John. The latter half of the track is just so raw, that you can’t help but feel something and although it’s the final track of 152 is one of the best songs overall.
152 is an emotional and musical rollercoaster that goes from melancholic, to upbeat, to melancholic, to making you want to dance. Taking Back Sunday have never been afraid to experiment and mix their sound up and this album is a great showcase of what the band used to be, what they are now, and what they could become in the future. As a long-time TBS fan, I can also honestly say it’s one of Adam’s strongest albums vocally as well, and it’s going to weave nicely into a live setlist with the band’s older more ‘emo’ hits, and their current rockier songs. Overall a solid outing and worth the almost 7 year gap between LP’s for the Long Island quartet.
Taking Back Sunday – 152 tracklisting
1. Amphetamine Smiles
2. S’old
3. The One
4. Keep Going
5. I Am The Only One Who Knows You
6. Quit Trying
7. Lightbringer
8. New Music Friday
9. Juice 2 Me
10. The Stranger
Rating: 8/10
152 is out Friday October 27th via Fantasy Records. Pre-Order here.
Review by Kelsey Trevan @kelsey_139