[4] Two days later, it was announced that former members guitarist John Nolan, and bassist Shaun Cooper had re-joined the band.

'"[6] O'Connell continued to insist on the idea, "and then I got a call from John [Nolan] ... it felt like no time had passed ... like we had just talked a few days ago".

[7] The group spent a few weeks[8] writing material at Sonic Ranch studio in El Paso, Texas.

[9] The song writing process started off with a guitar part, Nolan and Lazzara would work on lyrics and melodies, and then bounce ideas off the other members.

"[12] Lazzara mentioned there was "an urgency and an energy and an excitement" embedded into the material, which "you can't create or fake".

[7] Nolan stated that Straylight Run helped Cooper and himself as musicians: "We learned, we grew and were much more mature coming back to TBS.

"[11] Nolan mentioned a recurring theme throughout the album: "The issue of being an adult with a real life and a long-term relationship or marriage, and trying to make that work.

[8] Lazzara called it "probably the heaviest rock song we've ever written",[11] incorporating influences from Fugazi and Glassjaw,[35] and a Nirvana-like bass part.

[36] Lazzara said "Faith (When I Let You Down)" matches a "huge, punishing" chorus with a soft verse, which comes across as a "roller coaster" to him.

"[11] Lazzara said, "Money (Let It Go)" has a James Bond "kind of spy/surf-y vibe" and features a "really cool surf-y solo" by Nolan.

[46] The band performed a show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey on April 6 where they debuted a new song entitled "Faith (When I Let You Down)".

[45] On April 22, the band released the music video for "El Paso",[49] directed by Thursday guitarist Steve Pedulla.

[51] "Faith (When I Let You Down)" was made available for streaming on April 29,[52] and was released as a single on May 3 with "El Paso" and an acoustic version of "Great Romances of the 20th Century" as B-sides.

[17] The iTunes deluxe edition included a demo of "You Should Have Waited" and acoustic versions of "Great Romances of the 20th Century" and "Ghost Man on Third" as bonus tracks.

[67] According to MTV News' Jocelyn Vena, the video is a "social commentary about the fleeting nature of Internet fame, as illustrated by a fake cat trying to make it in Hollywood".

Cooper said: "Back before we even started touring, we’d go out to clubs on Long Island together and Eddie [Reyes] would be tearing up the dance floor ... [He] is by far the best dancer of the band.

[74] Directed by Greg Hunter and Josh Romero of Dionysian Entertainment, they had shot the footage during the previous summer and created a music video with it.

[79] AllMusic reviewer Gregory Heaney said Nolan and Cooper's return to the group helped "reinvigorat[e] their sound".

[42] Ian Chaddock of Big Cheese said the vocals weren't "as memorable and far less energetic," compared to the band's debut album.

[35] In a brief review for Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Anderson said Lazzara was "maiming his vocal cords over chaotic guitar crunch," while still sounding "enraptured".

wrote that the album shared "many of the same dynamics" as the group's debut, specifically mentioning "the energy and layered hooks".

[84] Melodic reviewer Pär Winberg called Valentine "a helluva good producer" and praised the production.

[81] IGN's Chad Grischow said the group charged "full steam ahead with the most rock focused album of their career".

[32] In a brief review for Newsday, Glenn Gamboa said it was a "testament" to the group's talent that they can "turn essentially a transition album into something that sounds this good".

[83] Tori Pederson of Punknews.org said the group "sound like a well-oiled machine here," producing "arguably the best album of their career" in the process.

[36] Spin's Mikael Wood wrote that the album showcases the group's "crafty songwriting rather than the psychological intensity" that dominated their debut.

[93] In 2013, Nolan said he was proud of the self-titled album and felt like the group "came out with something that was not completely like any other Taking Back Sunday record".

[95] In 2017, Cooper said that making the album was "some of the most fun I’ve ever had", however, he added that it was "a bit of a letdown because people didn’t respond the way we thought.

He said the album sounded like "an acceptance of identity and intrinsic strengths" and that group created "a rollicking return to form".

[97] All songs written by Adam Lazzara, Eddie Reyes, John Nolan, Mark O'Connell and Shaun Cooper.