Taking Back Sunday: Happiness Is

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Taking Back Sunday “Happiness Is” (2014) Review

I was in high school (I know that dates me), when I first was introduced to Taking Back Sunday. I hated them. I was really into hardcore, and they didn’t offer the hardcore leanings that I was into at the time, and despite my protest, their first album grew on me. I was hooked with the choruses that would just not stop, and soon I was singing along in their emo drenched rock fusion of alternative guitars and whining….I mean singing. When they hit the ground running, they had a string of hits and a ton of tours opening up for much heavier bands. The scene was hot in Southern California, and when they came through with Thursday, I was there rocking out.

Fast forward several years, and several albums later, including a 10th anniversary acoustic release of their first record and we get “Happiness Is”. Released earlier this year, I finally got around to listen to it at length, and while I am still far more into hardcore music, I found myself tapping my feet to a few of the tracks on this record. The opening of the disc is nothing new, and then they break free with the second track, or rather the third. “Stood a Chance” takes that familiar sound and brings about a little more frenetic pacing, and structure through the chorus. The heavy bass line drives the song’s emotional collisions, and you’ll swear that this is more akin to The Get Up Kids rather than TBS.

The rest of the record is solid, pushing through a balancing act of singing, screaming, and mostly melodic components that make independent rock so interesting, when done right. The songs are very much what you would expect from these guys, only they seem to have a bit more influence from Face To Face and Thursday in the way they dilute some of the songs.

This is not a heavy record, it doesn’t even feel like a Taking Back Sunday record. It feels like something new, and perhaps that’s the point. The band takes chances, especially on “Beat up Car”, “Better Homes and Gardens”, and more. Throughout the recording you don’t really get that emotional connection that you may have had with their first disc, and you may find yourself going through a different type of ride with this one. One that will have you either loving the band or hating them. I for one choose love, it’s a good record. It’s solid, polished, and features far more cohesion than anything that they’ve put out before. If you’re a fan of Ted Leo, New End Original, and of course Thursday, this is going to feel good. It’s not the winning Taking Back Sunday formula that won them fans in the past, it’s new, it’s good, it’s well worth your time.

“Happiness Is” may in fact be the best record that these guys have put out, and it shows. They’ve grown up, and it’s not all about the losses, it’s about much more. You can sense it when you pay attention. Even though there are moments of emotional discord, there’s far more optimism found on the disc, at least in the way the music played.

Pros: Great production, catchy songs, optimism laced

Cons: Doesn't feel like TBS anymore