phantom influences.

I can't really say I've been too happy since school started. Luckily, tonight was a success, it felt how I pictured fall should feel. Just good weekend times. There were a few bumps, but I think it went well overall. I keep getting this sinking feeling that I am losing all of my friends. I know I'm not... and I wish I could realize that. I don't know what makes me think so negatively all the time. Sometimes I guess I just wonder what people really think of me. But you probably don't want to hear about my unproductive, paranoid ramblings.

Instead of some internal debate over some topic or idea, I suppose tonight I'll just share the review I wrote for the school paper. Whoever reads this, you are lucky. You get a sneak peak. Ha. I feel like so much more could be said for the album, but length and consideration of the audience held me back from some of my true thoughts on the album. Either way, I am happy with this review.


Brand New- Daisy


Long Island, New York hometown favorites, the genre defying band Brand New, have finally released their long anticipated fourth album. Being an avid listener and huge fan of the band, I tend to think everyone is well acquainted with their music. A brief history: The band debuted with Your Favorite Weapon, A pop-punk album in the vein of Taking Back Sunday. However, Deja Entendu, Brand New’s sophomore album, saw the band moving into much more eclectic and interesting terrain. In 2006, the band released The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, an album so musically advanced, dense, and, for lack of a better word, depressing that, to the untrained ear, it would be hard to imagine the same band had released the prior two albums. Each of the band’s albums means a great deal to me (more so Deja and The Devil and God than the debut), so writing an unbiased review would be nearly impossible. Luckily, Brand New’s 4th album, Daisy, once again redefines the band’s sound, making a new perspective on the band completely necessary.


Daisy begins with what sounds like a sample of an old religious song from some forgotten 20th century decade. For about a minute and a half, the hymn goes on. Then, suddenly, the first track, “Vices”, bursts open. All expectations are immediately put to rest as Jesse Lacey (lead vocals, guitar) screams his way through what is easily Brand New’s heaviest song. The result is a track that sounds roughly like a combination of early Fugazi and Glassjaw. Track number two, entitled “Bed”, is a bit underwhelming at first, but it still delivers. After the chaos that is “Vices”, the listener is left with a few minutes to relax with this slower, more recognizable song.


The album maintains a good flow of quiet to loud, about equal parts of each. Songs like “Gasoline” and “In a Jar” fit alongside “Vices” as some of the heaviest material Brand New has written. On the other end of the album’s spectrum, “You Stole” and “Daisy” represent a style closer to what was heard on The Devil and God. I could consider every song on the album a highlight, but if a favorite had to be chosen, it would be “Sink”. Although it is probably Daisy’s most accessible song, (it uses a fairly standard rock riff for the verses) it has one of the most chaotic and intense choruses I’ve heard from the band.


While my praise for this record is admittedly never ending, there was one problem I had with it. Unlike their past two albums, the lyrics for Daisy were primarily written by guitarist Vincent Accardi. This unfortunately seems to mean that the quality of the lyrics are not up to Jesse Lacey’s (the usual lyricist) high standards. However, there are just as many lyrical successes as there are failures. Daisy almost seems to play like an instrumental album with vocals added to compliment the astounding musicianship, so in the end, the lyrics don’t really even play as important a role as they have in the past for the band. Like all of the band’s material, Daisy is a grower. It should take at least five full listens for the average fan to fully process the changes the band has made. As for the music fans not acquainted with Brand New: this is as good an album to start on as any.


Brand New once again totally reinvents themselves, and it does them a great deal of good. A band once writing pop-punk tunes about lying girls, drinking, and heartbreak now have much more in common with 90’s grunge acts such as Nirvana or The Jesus Lizard. Modern music needs bands like Brand New ; it needs bands that consistently change their style, and do it well every time.