I'm with you. I will take it a step further and say that I think their newest record is always the best. Even the S/T record. In fact, especially the S/T record. It has some of Adam's best vocal performances.
Beat Up Car and Better Homes And Gardens were the only tracks taken from that record that I've quite enjoyed back in time.
I know I must be in the minority here, but I much prefer the newer-era Taking Back Sunday output over the older stuff, including this. I didn't start listening to this band and exploring their back catalog until maybe 2010 or so, and by that time the sound of TAYF and WYWTB had already become something I knew I would have liked if I had heard it at the time of its initial release. I've probably listened to Happiness Is more than any other album of theirs. It's just more topical for me at this point. That being said, I have to echo with what some other people have already said: I don't really love this band. There's always been something that just never quite put them in that upper echelon for me.
I guess this would be a bit more of a good first single... I've enjoyed all of them so far somehow :)
I'm with you. I can easily listen to every record they have made front to back except S/T. I still go back to it because it has some awesome stuff on but it definitely has those tracks I skip. And compared to many other releases these days I'd still say pretty solid. I find myself getting harder to please as I get older and yeah there are some amazing records being released every year but how many bands can still do it this many albums in. I find TBS, Brand New (Dare I bring them up again in a TBS thread and The Wonder Years) are 3 bands that I grow with as they do. I always claim WYWTB as my favourite album of all time but the past 2/3 years I've listened to NA, S/T and HI a hell of a ton more.
As for this song. Only listened to it once when I had just woken up over here. Liked it but for me there was nothing to make it standout from Tidal Wave and the other one for me. I rated all 3. Holy Water on the other hand....I have never been this excited for a song based on a cam shot youtube video from a show. I really dont want to jynx it but I think that song will go down as a top 3 TBS song if the videos are anything to go by.
That's why I try to avoid fan shot videos lol. Really, not much good can come from it - either I like it or don't, but it never seems to actually match once I hear the actual song. That's really hard sometimes to not see stuff, though.
There's 3 songs on New Again that I love and the rest I can do without. S/T is half very good but This Is All Now and You Got Me are my favorite songs since the 2nd record. Basically enjoy the entirety of every other record. They don't feel like a band I outright love, but their sound has been pretty consistent for me as far as where my music taste has gone I guess? I really love Happiness Is. Pretty hyped for this one.