Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Single: “Flicker, Fade”
Album: Happiness Is
Label: Hopeless

Having spent the better part of the last year bathing in the white hot glow of nostalgia, Taking Back Sunday are wasting no time getting to new music in 2014. Not only did they announce plans to release their sixth studio album this week, but they also debuted the studio version of their recent live staple, “Flicker, Fade.” It’s the first taste of new music the band has offered in almost three years, and I am just not sure if it’s good enough to meet the incredible high expectations fans have for Long Island’s golden boys.

Kicking off with a full band buildup that ultimately transitions to acoustic guitar and frontman Adam Lazzara’s signature croon, the opening moments of “Flicker, Fade” grabs you by the collar and demands your full attention. It hits you hard and heavy, bringing to mind the heyday of TBS lyricism with the mature sonic approach of recent releases. Adam sings of relationships and the self-destructive cycles so many of us find ourselves in from time to time while the band adds strings and other elements to further round out their already booming wall-of-sound, but try as I might, there is just something to the whole affair that feels too familiar for its own good.

Taking Back Sunday have slowly settled into a new musical direction over the last few releases that tries to remain hip enough for teens while engaging adults who may remember the band from their high school years. This made sense when it first rose to prominence on New Again, but two albums later the ‘new’ sound of TBS is beginning to wear on me, and I am beginning to wonder whether or not they have many new ideas left to explore. “Flicker, Fade” is catchy, but I do not think anyone could tell it apart from material featured on the self-titled release.

There comes a point in the careers of certain bands where it no longer matters whether or not their new material is on par, or even close to as good as their early material. For a while this realm of popularity was reserved for aging acts in regular rotation at classic rock radio, but as the first half of the millennial generation reaches further into their parenting years, a new batch of artists have been added to that list. Brand New is one, and considering the incredible success of the Tell All Your Friends anniversary tour I have to say Taking Back Sunday are another. They will continue to sell records and fill venues as long as their most recent release is not significantly less interesting than the one that came before. Mediocrity is fine, as long as it’s familiar mediocrity, and that is what I think fuels “Flicker, Fade.”

I pre-ordered Happiness Is after only a few spins of “Flicker, Fade” and even though I am not completely sold on the single I am still happy with my decision. Like many of you reading this now, I too will support Taking Back Sunday until they stop being a band because for a few years a decade ago they meant the entire world to me. Whether or not they’ll reach that level of importance for me again is anyone’s guess, but as I stated above, it doesn’t really matter. As long as they still sound like TBS people will be willing to pay for it, and “Flicker, Fade” is about as by-the-books as the band could hope to be.

Written by: James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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