The Academy Is… Returns With Their First Full-Length Album in Nearly 20 Years, ‘Almost There’
When a band vanishes for a while, you can find yourself expecting a certain sound when or if they announce a return, especially in our current era of rampant nostalgia bait. However, Almost There by The Academy Is… flips your expectations.
The band’s first album, Almost Here, is a rebellious teen fighting to make it and be seen. Their newest album, Almost There, is the older sibling that made it out of the small town and experienced more of what life has to offer. While it does not have the classic TAI… sound, this new album still bleeds classic TAI… spirit. There is vulnerability and hope, mirrored by moments of reflection and regret.
Almost There offers a lesson in moving on without burying the past. You are allowed to reflect on the good times and the bad times. You can reflect on the good memories, while acknowledging certain relationships or situations weren’t what you needed to feel fulfilled. You're allowed to go through occasionally conflicting emotions from the past to land on the future you would like for yourself.
The progression of singles makes complete sense once you have a better idea of Almost Here’s story. The lead single, “2005,” is a bridge from the old to the new. It describes the present while also looking back. It is reminiscent of catching up with people from your past, appreciating the connections that shaped you.
“Miracle” is a track that looks forward, hoping to love again, ultimately pursuing authentic happiness. Despite lyrically looking ahead, sonically, it pulls you back again to familiar sounds from past albums, like Fast Times at Barrington High.
“L Train” offers more reflection, but this time, it’s more aligned with the album’s newer sound. It looks to the past and the feeling of becoming stuck in thought loops. Various promotional clips show projected imagery onto a blank space and sometimes over lead singer William Beckett, emphasizing how, sometimes, self-reflection can leave you feeling trapped in an unchangeable scene that just keeps replaying.
The record benefits from the lived experiences of parts of life outside of the spotlight, which the band was thrust into at a young age. Songs like “Snow Days” and “Lost Signals” are some of the best examples of this.
“Snow Days” is about reconnection. It tells the story of how songwriters Mike Carden and William Beckett’s paths diverged during the band’s split before touching base on topics like fatherhood and sobriety, eventually meeting back up to, quote Beckett, “do some dad shit”.
“Lost Signals” is a love letter to the band itself, missing those days and the feeling of performing together. The song is another driving force; the band is in a more developed place mentally, allowing them to revisit that place physically. They were just kids when they transcended the Chicago underground scene. Now, however, they are grown with sharper outlooks of their projected future and grounded definitions of current core values.
This new era of The Academy Is… also reads as a love letter to the fans. The album’s sincerity provides something for everyone; fans old and new will find something to connect to within Almost There. It offers reminiscent glimpses of the past, with an optimistic vision for the future.
Beckett has described the record and creative process of promotion as “very DIY and hands-on” in a January 2026 livestream. The band prioritizes connecting with fans across various online platforms. Their consistent sharing of video clips and photos encourages new conversations with fans; it also gives fans chances to reminisce on past band creative outlets, like the band-hosted web series, TAITV.
Almost There is the most vulnerable The Academy Is… record to date. They came back stronger, healed, and with their hearts on their sleeves.
The Academy is… going to get that destination they have talked about since their debut eventually, but for now, they have made a bold new mark in their music’s discography with Almost There.