New Again is the fourth studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. When guitarist Fred Mascherino left the group after the Projekt Revolution tour ended in September 2007, band members took a break after years of touring. New Again was recorded in October and November 2008 at several studios in New York and California with David Kahne and Matt Squire as producers. Matthew Fazzi of Facing New York joined Taking Back Sunday in early 2008. He was praised by vocalist Adam Lazzara and the group's manager for incorporating new instruments into the group's sound. Guitarist Eddie Reyes called the album "one of the most aggressive records we've ever written". Towards the end of 2008, the group revealed the album's title, went on a US tour, and made "Carpathia" available for streaming.
Following a European tour in April 2009, the title-track was released as a free download. Later in the month, "Carpathia" was released as a Record Store Day release, and "Sink into Me" was released as a single. After "Everything Must Go" was made available for streaming, the band toured the US in May and June. New Again was released on June 2 through Warner Bros. Records, with several editions of the album featuring bonus tracks and video content. Following the release of the title-track as a single in July, the group had a support slot on Blink-182's North American tour in August and September. The group embarked on a short US tour in October, followed by a co-headlining US tour with The All-American Rejects in November and December. After an appearance at Soundwave festival in Australia in February and March 2010, Fazzi and Rubano left the group; in their place, former members John Nolan and Shaun Cooper returned to the band.
New Again sold 48,000 copies in its first week of release, charting at number 7 on the Billboard 200. It also reached the top 10 on several other Billboard charts. The album also reached the top 40 in Canada and Australia. "Sink into Me" reached the top 40 on the Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts. New Again received a generally favorable response from critics, who praised the album's sound and Lazzara's vocals despite the latter's own dislike of the record. Subsequently, few songs have rarely made it to the live setlist after the release of the band's fifth studio album, Taking Back Sunday.
Background In June 2007, vocalist Adam Lazzara said Taking Back Sunday were preparing to write the follow-up album to Louder Now (2006). In July, bassist Matthew Rubano mentioned that the other members of the band were in the process of writing individually in separate locations: Rubano in Manhattan, Lazzara in Texas, guitarist Fred Mascherino in Jersey, drummer Mark O'Connell on Long Island and guitarist Eddie Reyes in Ohio. From late July to early September, the band participated in the 2007 Projekt Revolution tour. During the tour, they brought along a mobile recording studio and demoed material, and continued writing for their next album. Plans to do serious writing, as well as record their next album towards the end of the year, were in place.
However, Mascherino left the band following the end of the tour. He said, "It was getting to the point where I felt I had taken the road as long as I possibly could," and his compositions were "more pop than anyone else [in the band] wanted to go". In October, the group revealed that their next album was "in its very early stages". In December, Rubano said the group was in New York City working on new material, having already written six songs. Prior to demoing, O'Connell had to have back surgery, having injured it during the Projekt Revolution tour. During the demoing process, the group tried different drummers, but according to Rubano: "They just weren't Mark. Not enough ferocity, intensity." Following this, the band's members took time to refocus themselves after several years of constant touring. Lazzara sorted his life out following addiction issues, ending his engagement to Chauntelle DuPree of Eisley. He subsequently moved to another town, got married, and had a child. O'Connell also got married, Reyes spent time with his family, and Rubano recorded music for the TV show Electric Company.
In May 2008, it was announced that guitarist Matthew Fazzi, formerly of Facing New York, had joined the band. Reyes, who had met Fazzi during Facing New York's stint on the 2004 Warped Tour, asked him by text whether he wanted to audition for Taking Back Sunday. In a statement, the group called Fazzi "talented and versed in many musical instruments", mentioning that he would be "bring[ing] his unique talent and style to the mix". Rubano was uneasy with Fazzi initially: "He was this very nice, very talented, ambitious, happy guy, and I was like, 'This guy isn't going to last with us, this guy's the wrong fit.'" Around this time, Fazzi and Rubano visited Lazzara in Texas; accompanied by acoustic guitars and a bass, the trio practiced in Lazzara's living room.Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 1:18–27 Here, the trio wrote "New Again" which helped "catapult the energy for the beginning of writing [New Again] forward," according to Rubano.Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 1:28–39, 1:55–2:00 During an appearance at the Virgin Mobile Festival in August 2008, Spin reported that the band was on the brink of entering a recording studio.
Production In September 2008, the band began recording a new album aiming to release it in early 2009. They initially wanted Eric Valentine as a producer, but according to Lazzara, "the timing didn't work". David Kahne produced the sessions and engineered the overdubs. He aimed to capture the "power and scope" of the band's live performances. The group worked with Kahne because of Fazzi. According to Lazzara, when the band learned he produced Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full (2007) album, they said, "let's go work with him". Evil Joe Barresi engineered the tracking, with additional production and engineering performed by Jamie Siegel.
Recording was done at Avatar Studios, with Justin Gerrish, and at See Squared Studios in New York City. The majority of the album was recorded in five days. Additional recording took place at J-Rock Studios in New York City, with Anthony Lenoci. "Sink into Me" was recorded at J-Rock Studios, as well as NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California, and The Village in Los Angeles, California. "Where My Mouth Is" was produced by Matt Squire with engineer Bill Appleberry. It was recorded at NRG Studios, with assistance from Casey Lewis, and at The Village, with help from Jared Nugent. Squire also provided additional production and engineering on "Sink into Me".
On October 24, the band mentioned that they had nearly finishing recording the album and would start the mixing process shortly afterwards. On November 6, the band announced they were "still putting the finshing touches on the album". The recordings were mixed by Tom Lord-Alge with Fernio Hernandez at South Beach Studios in Miami, Florida. Ted Jensen mastered the recordings at Sterling Sound in New York City. In retrospect, Lazzara called Kahne "a good producer," but didn't think he was "the right fit" for the group. He added that what the group aimed to accomplish was "just different than what he had envisioned both sonically and with all of that stuff". Reyes said he was "pre-warned about working with him and I didn't listen to that. ... It was kind of very blank. I think I put my guitar tracks on and then I flew back home and that was it."
Music and lyrics
Overview An early title for the album was When All Is Said and Done More Is Said Than Done, suggested by Fazzi. The group liked it, however, Fazzi said it was "way too long to fit on a side of a CD". According to Lazzara, the album was given the title New Again because "that's what it feels like. We are in a totally different band, just because there has been this new life breathed into the band with the addition of Matt[hew Fazzi]." The album was written in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Here, Rubano said the group "stuck out on the street because we were so loud". For the album, the band embraced the concept that "it's up to us to decide what Taking Back Sunday sounds like. We always want to be redefining what that means, and there's stuff on this record I think in the past we would have stayed away from", according to Rubano. Fazzi said the group wanted to "put a new foot forward ... to show people that we're expanding the music". He noted that the song structures and chord patterns were "just a bit stronger and smarter".
According to Lazzara, Fazzi was a major contributor in writing New Again. The band was, "Experimenting ... [with] a lot of different instruments, horns, glockenspiels, there's a flautist on the record. And it's stuff we never would've tried before." Jillian Newman, the group's manager, also mentioned Fazzi's influence: "[Fazzi] brought a really positive, happy energy to the band. A lot of the walls came down during writing. He allowed everybody to try new things." They were able to do three-part vocal harmonies as Rubano was beginning to sing in the band. With New Again, Lazzara considered his lyrics to be "a lot more forward," compared those on earlier songs. Reyes called the album "one of the most aggressive records we've ever written". The album's sound has been described as alternative rock, pop punk, pop rock and post-hardcore, shifting away from the emo sound of their earlier work.
Songs Rubano had a bassline that, within an hour of playing it, became the track "New Again."Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 1:00–12 After writing it, Fazzi said it was a "no-brainer for an opener".Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 0:19–23 O'Connell called it "powerful" and said it "sets the mood" for the album.Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 0:25–29 One day during rehearsals, Fazzi played a guitar riff, then O'Connell played along, resulting in "Sink into Me."Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 4:11–19 The song begins with cheerleader-esque "hey!"s that Fazzi came up with,Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 4:19–26 as well as handclaps. Lazzara referred to it as a "freight train. ... if you were to stand in front of it, you would get pummeled". Lazzara also mentioned that the music to it was "unlike anything we've ever done before. It's real[ly] upbeat." For "Lonely, Lonely," Lazzara said it was the "first time that we just turned it up to ten and went with it".Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 5:10–15 With this song, Fazzi said the group wanted something "short, to the point and just punishing from start to finish".Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 5:26–31 The song's bridge had been suggested by Fazzi during his audition for the band.Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 6:39–47 Rubano said the track was "a freight train of rock & roll" and was inspired by Queens of the Stone Age. "Summer, Man" was one of the first songs written for New Again. It was composed during the Projekt Revolution tour, and consisted originally of a bridge guitar riff by Reyes.Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 8:27–38 Rubano said it was the band's take on a Beach Boys-esque song,Taking Back Sunday 2009, event occurs at 8:48–57 and has been compared to a mix of Weezer and Bush with its power pop chorus sections.