ALBUM REVIEW: Twenty – Taking Back Sunday

TAKING BACK SUNDAY grace us with Twenty, a compilation album of their greatest and most influential rock hits, spanning all seven of their records. And if that does not sound ear-appetising enough then the fact that the two final and closing tracks of their 21-track album are two brand new songs, is sure to tip you over the edge and make you stop in your tracks just to check out their newer tracks.

The album is concrete as it is mostly made up of chart topping rock staples that are bound to make you crank the volume up to the max to experience TAKING BACK SUNDAY’s hits to the extreme. And once you reach Make Damn Sure you’re singing back ‘’I just wanna break you down so badly / I trip over everything you say / I just wanna break you down so badly / In the worst way’’ without missing a single word as if no time has passed since you first heard this 2006 hit of theirs.

Twenty is a record for long-time fans of the band who want to feel nostalgic by listening back to iconic songs like Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team), which acted as the soundtrack of their youth. But, having said that it is also the perfect introduction for newer and younger fans of TAKING BACK SUNDAY who want a listening crash course of the band’s’ discography. But, the album is also for the dedicated and curious fans who want to hear a snippet of what their future sound is bound to be like.

The original track All Ready To Go has a more of a classic and hard rock sound contrary to their earlier and more pop punk-esque work. But, it is A Song For Dan that catches you off guard with its surprising opening of a soothing piano solo, before we hear an emotional Adam Lazzara singing with that distinct sharp and nasally toned voice of his about death, loss and goodbyes. And yet even with soft sounding violins playing in the background that still does not undermine the song of being an authentic rock track. The track feels raw and heartfelt and is definitely the more memorable and listen worthy one out of the two original tracks.

Now, although a compilation album is not an original concept and is rather a tired and recycled concept that many musicians use but only the greats can pass it off. And with as influential of an alternative rock band as TAKING BACK SUNDAY was in the noughties and still is, it is a predictable move that they released such an album for their 20-year anniversary. So, although it is not an exciting release nor is it an original one, it is still a worthwhile one if you’re a dedicated or new fan that wants to savour some of TAKING BACK SUNDAY‘s most prominent tracks as well as sample what’s to come from them in the future.

Rating: 7/10

Twenty is out now via Craft Recordings. 

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