Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave Album Review
Having released their debut album in 2002, Taking Back Sunday rode a wave of popularity for American guitar music, though success in the UK didn't match the likes of Blink 182 or Sum 41. Now releasing their seventh album, it is the first time that they have kept the same and also original line up for three consecutive releases. The quintet are now on the road in North America until the end of the year.
Given the genres with which they are associated, 'Death Wolf' threatens to be something of a timid opener, before unleashing some moderate emo-rock. Title track 'Tidal Wave' apes The Clash to the point where even the accompanying press release highlights the 'homage', but 'Fences' is an orchestra-tinged effort of radio-friendly rock that falls flat. At the opposite end of the spectrum is 'All Excess', a peak on the record that has hooks for fun and is immediately engrained, before the obligatory acoustic ballad 'I Feel It Too' diminishes the momentum.
They turn up the volume again on 'Call Come Running', which features some nifty guitar work, while 'In The Middle Of It All' is another fun piece. The closing 'I'll Find A Way To Make It What You Want' unsuccessfully tries to amalgamate the different styles paraded through the album and is ultimately as unnecessarily long as the title of the song itself. For the majority of the time, this record moves along pleasantly enough, broken up by equal measures of excellence and tedium.
Continue reading: Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave Album Review
