After three years of absence since their release of The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, the Long Island group Brand New have put their newest (and secretive) effort forward with their simply titled Daisy. But don't let the album title fool you into thinking that this indie group has gone soft, as this release brings forth a louder, darker, albeit mature and complex feeling this time around. Along with the change in sound comes another notable change for the band. Instead of singer Jesse Lacey writing the majority of the record, that job has gone to guitarist Vincent Accardi. This may disappoint those who are looking for Lacey's biting and introspective lyrics, but the average listener may not even notice the change without looking at the liner notes, as Lacey delivers his heart-wrenching vocals as expected.
The album's opening track "Vices" starts off with haunting, gritty old recording of a woman singing in tandem with a piano. One might even question if they're even listening to a Brand New record to begin with, but just as doubt sets in, the band sets in with an assault of lo-fi guitars, pulsing drums and Lacey screaming, letting the listener know what they're in for for the rest of the record. This initial track draws comparisons to grunge greats like Nirvana and Sonic Youth with the use of messy guitars and shrill vocal work.
The second track "Bed" completely polarizes from the belligerent "Vices" showing the more familiar, mellow side of the band that one might have heard of The Devil and God..., slowly making the album a little easier to take in as a whole. Although the territory may be somewhat familiar, the band adds a sense of darkness and mystery that was absent from their previous works. This dark ambiance definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The band's first single from Daisy, "At The Bottom", has rapidly drawn comparisons among fans to bands like Nirvana and even vocally to Modest Mouse. The vocal delivery from Lacey is definitely different this time around having a certain "twang" and the arrangement itself does have a grunge-era edge, but nevertheless, the track is distinctly Brand New. Their trademark sinister lyrics are still prevalent as ever, with lyrics that would make even the most seasoned Brand New fan cringe a little. Lacey screams, "I'd serve you drugs on a silver plate, If I thought it would help you get away".
The album seems to deter a bit with the filler track "Be Gone". The peculiar track begins with a southern guitar riff accompanied by choppy, indiscernible vocals. It's almost as if the members of the band said, "Hey, we're bored. Let's play with the production equipment while the producer is away for 90 seconds and see what happens".
But, thankfully, the pace and sensibility picks up with the songs "Sink" and the bombastic "Bought a Bride". The band makes another sonic assault with pounding drum lines, noisy guitar, and angry vocals. The morbidity we've all come to know and love from the band is stronger than ever, with Lacey proclaiming in the song "Sink": "I don't want to let you go, but it hurts my hands to hold the rope".
All and all, Brand New has once again put out a applause-worthy album. Those looking for some nostalgia and pop-punk sensibility from the Deja Entendu days, or even expecting something along the lines of The Devil and God... will be sorely disappointed. Brand New has used experimentation to their advantage and have a produced an aggressive and evocative outing this time around. Even though there are some bumps along the way, Daisy is a fun, although sometimes strange ride.
Album in-stores September 22, 2009
http://www.fightoffyourdemons.com
http://www.myspace.com/brandnew
A nicely done column with probably a solid audience for people who follow this group. As a non-follower, the details are hard to judge.
ReplyDeleteBut as a column/review, it holds up well. Others in the column writing class will have to comment on content issues.
Good ending with listing when it is available and the links.