"Where You Want to Be" by Taking Back Sunday (2004)
Artist: |
Taking Back Sunday |
Album: |
Where You Want to Be |
Released In: |
2004 |
Reviewed By: |
Doug Radunich |
Grade: |
3.5 |
Back when I was in High School, "Emo" was still an underground movement and you were considered "cool" and "not trendy" if you listened to it, or even knew about any of the bands. Flash forward four years later and now Emo is the new grunge/alternative of this decade. All over the radio, MTV, and MTV2 you'll hear emo bands like Jimmy Eat World, Get Up Kids, Yellowcard, Thrice, The Starting Line, Something Corporate, Story of the Year, Brand New, The Used , and of course, Dashboard Confessional (who once played in my hometown in a tiny country/western venue five years ago when it was just Chris Carraba and an acoustic guitar).
Taking Back Sunday is another one of these talented bands that are riding the current of the Emo Streamo. The CD doesn't bring anything novel to the genre, but the songs are catchy and entertaining nonetheless. The first two tracks, "Set Phasers to Stun" and "Bonus Mosh pt. 2" are standard emo fare that get the CD off to a good start. The real stand-out track on the album is the next song, "A Decade Under the Influence," which is their first single and video for MTV. The verse's lyrics "I've got a bad feeling about this" make for a great singalong tune which then explodes into a powerful melodic chorus (which included lyrics like "To Hell with you and all your friends") which even though it falls under the heading of "Guilty Pleasure" sounds like a catchy All-American Rejects song. On "The Union" the band gets harder with its buzzing guitars, sound effects, and great screams. "New American Classic" is a good heartfelt acoustic song that reminded me of Dashboard Confessional.
The rest of the CD contains a number of strong enough tunes like "One-Eighty by Summer," but they all suffer a bit from what has become the stereotypical trappings and structure of emo-ness. The last song, the slower "Slowdance on the Inside" had good shuffling drums at the beginning and a powerful chorus that fades out gracefully at the end of the song. Where You Want to Be is listenable and solid, but I can't say that it brings anything particularly new and refreshing to the emo table. However, fans of emo and pop-punk, as well as the bands' considerable and loyal fan-base will find themselves right where they want to be.
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