Taking Back Sunday

Item: Tell All Your Friends
Author: Nate Bailey

Tell All Your Friends

(2002)

Reviewed by Nate Bailey

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Label Victory RecordsDecapolisMarch 2002

emo post-hardcore

Taking Back Sunday's "Tell All Your Friends" is in the same ballpark as Saves The Day, The Stryder etc. Another attempt to add passion and emotion to the energy of punk that is popular these days and stretches its roots back to the days of the late great Lifetime. The vocal style was the first thing that caught my attention. It's very similar to Saves The Day and in that respect leads you to make this particular association right off the bat. What I did like was the occasional "spice" within some of the songs. By "spice" I mean the brief interludes of softer guitar parts and interesting arrangements (like the added female vocals in "Bike Scene" and the piano in "The Blue Channel") that offer some standout elements. The beginning guitar part of "Cute Without The E" was another one of these standout moments, but it doesn't last long enough and ends almost as soon as it begins. Hopefully with future releases, they will focus in on what led them to bring these creations to life and not on the padding that they are lodged in.

I was disappointed with some of the production. The beginning of "Bike Scene" is somewhat sloppy in how it's put together mainly because the guitars are not playing with the drums. Also "There's No I In Team" has a choppy/rough feel to it. Though these are just a few of the examples, throughout the album there are little pockets of mistakes that really take away from the work in general. It's not that Taking Back Sunday is without talent, but they need to find their own voice and not rely on what everyone else is playing.