Daisy – Brand New
It’s been three long years since Brand New released an album, with the monumental ‘The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me’ and it’s time once again for the New York five piece to take the alternative rock scene by storm with the release of ‘Daisy’ at the end of the month.
Brand New’s story is the stuff of music fairytale. Formed in 2000 by Jesse Lacey, who at the time played bass in Taking Back Sunday, they were signed after their second ever gig to Triple Crown Records. Their debut, ‘Your Favourite Weapon’ was a pop-punk masterpiece. The follow up, ‘Deja Entendu’ was received with critical acclaim that put Brand New in a new spotlight. More meaningful than the debut, ‘Deja Entendu’ remains one of the best alternative rock albums to be released in the last decade. However there was a three and a half year gap until anything else was released by the band. This release came in the form of ‘The Devil and God…’ which is possibly their best work to date. It added a whole deeper level to their music that seems unrecognisable compared to ‘Your Favourite Weapon.’
And now, almost three years after that groundbreaking record, comes ‘Daisy.’ Brand New have become renowned for reinventing themselves on each record they produce and ‘Daisy’ is no different. Sounding far looser and less methodical than The Devil And God, they have created a record that sounds half improvised at times and raw throughout.
Opening track ‘Vices’ starts off with a haunting female opera singer’s voice floating through the speakers. Real Brand New fans will know not to be lulled into a false sense of security, after TDAG’s ‘Luca’, which seemed a simple eerie acoustic track until near the end where Jesse Lacey’s blood curdling scream turns the track into a full blown rock out. And they’ve done it again with 'Vices'. Just as the last note on the tinkling piano is played, all hell breaks loose and the full force of Brand New’s rage is felt for the first time… well, in three years. Kurt Cobain will be moshing in his grave. It left me asking, “is this really Brand New?” I didn’t know they had that much noise in them.
After you get over the initial shock of ‘Vices’ and change into clean underwear, the grungy ‘Bed’ floats along with a laid back Nirvana sort of style. The first single, ‘At the Bottom’ is one of the obvious high points of the record, with Jesse’s voice layered over itself like in ‘Degausser’ from TDAG, and the chorus is one big sing along, the only one to be found on the album. Midway through it sounds like all the instruments simultaneously break the whole song falls to pieces, however they pull it all together again for a couple more choruses. ‘Gasoline’ is a rough, ragged and slightly awkward song, followed by ‘You Stole’ which is a lot like a track that could’ve been on ‘Deja Entendu.’ An interlude titled ‘Be Gone’ is very strange, some country guitars sound like a Texan hoe down, and Jesse’s lyrics come through distorted, as if a child is putting the volume up and down on the C.D player as fast as they can. ‘Sink’ is a thumping beast of a song, with the screaming guitars and vocals making up the loud part of the loud/quiet style of The Devil And God…
One of the jems of the album comes in the form of the first title track Brand New have ever made. ‘Daisy’ reintroduces electric drums, not used by the band in almost ten years. They fit perfectly with Jesse’s delicate vocals. There are samples from a minister asking the congregation to turn to a hymn page and a child talking. Overall these background effects work perfectly to make one of the best songs on the album. And it’s over as suddenly as it started, last track ‘In A Jar’ ends with no real bang, it just fades out. However there is a line where Jesse sings “Now it has to end” and this Is probably aimed at the fact that he’s stated that “Brand New is no more” and that this is, sadly, likely to be their last album. At least they’ve had a good run and if they do decide to call it a day, they can say they were fantastic right up until the end; they are still as c-c-c-c-controversial as ever.
Daisy is out on September 22nd on Interscope Records.
It’s been three long years since Brand New released an album, with the monumental ‘The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me’ and it’s time once again for the New York five piece to take the alternative rock scene by storm with the release of ‘Daisy’ at the end of the month.
Brand New’s story is the stuff of music fairytale. Formed in 2000 by Jesse Lacey, who at the time played bass in Taking Back Sunday, they were signed after their second ever gig to Triple Crown Records. Their debut, ‘Your Favourite Weapon’ was a pop-punk masterpiece. The follow up, ‘Deja Entendu’ was received with critical acclaim that put Brand New in a new spotlight. More meaningful than the debut, ‘Deja Entendu’ remains one of the best alternative rock albums to be released in the last decade. However there was a three and a half year gap until anything else was released by the band. This release came in the form of ‘The Devil and God…’ which is possibly their best work to date. It added a whole deeper level to their music that seems unrecognisable compared to ‘Your Favourite Weapon.’
And now, almost three years after that groundbreaking record, comes ‘Daisy.’ Brand New have become renowned for reinventing themselves on each record they produce and ‘Daisy’ is no different. Sounding far looser and less methodical than The Devil And God, they have created a record that sounds half improvised at times and raw throughout.
Opening track ‘Vices’ starts off with a haunting female opera singer’s voice floating through the speakers. Real Brand New fans will know not to be lulled into a false sense of security, after TDAG’s ‘Luca’, which seemed a simple eerie acoustic track until near the end where Jesse Lacey’s blood curdling scream turns the track into a full blown rock out. And they’ve done it again with 'Vices'. Just as the last note on the tinkling piano is played, all hell breaks loose and the full force of Brand New’s rage is felt for the first time… well, in three years. Kurt Cobain will be moshing in his grave. It left me asking, “is this really Brand New?” I didn’t know they had that much noise in them.
After you get over the initial shock of ‘Vices’ and change into clean underwear, the grungy ‘Bed’ floats along with a laid back Nirvana sort of style. The first single, ‘At the Bottom’ is one of the obvious high points of the record, with Jesse’s voice layered over itself like in ‘Degausser’ from TDAG, and the chorus is one big sing along, the only one to be found on the album. Midway through it sounds like all the instruments simultaneously break the whole song falls to pieces, however they pull it all together again for a couple more choruses. ‘Gasoline’ is a rough, ragged and slightly awkward song, followed by ‘You Stole’ which is a lot like a track that could’ve been on ‘Deja Entendu.’ An interlude titled ‘Be Gone’ is very strange, some country guitars sound like a Texan hoe down, and Jesse’s lyrics come through distorted, as if a child is putting the volume up and down on the C.D player as fast as they can. ‘Sink’ is a thumping beast of a song, with the screaming guitars and vocals making up the loud part of the loud/quiet style of The Devil And God…
One of the jems of the album comes in the form of the first title track Brand New have ever made. ‘Daisy’ reintroduces electric drums, not used by the band in almost ten years. They fit perfectly with Jesse’s delicate vocals. There are samples from a minister asking the congregation to turn to a hymn page and a child talking. Overall these background effects work perfectly to make one of the best songs on the album. And it’s over as suddenly as it started, last track ‘In A Jar’ ends with no real bang, it just fades out. However there is a line where Jesse sings “Now it has to end” and this Is probably aimed at the fact that he’s stated that “Brand New is no more” and that this is, sadly, likely to be their last album. At least they’ve had a good run and if they do decide to call it a day, they can say they were fantastic right up until the end; they are still as c-c-c-c-controversial as ever.
Daisy is out on September 22nd on Interscope Records.
Make a music journo out of you yet young Finlay!! Can't wait to hear the whole album!!Amy
ReplyDeleteIs this what you do till 3 in the morning? When will we see a review of the Springsteen gig? Dad.
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