Brand New's sound grows up, still among genre's best
Unless you run in certain circles, you probably haven’t heard of the stellar band Brand New. The band’s fourth major release is a departure from their usual style, but "Daisy" doesn’t disappoint. Their first release, "Your Favorite Weapon," was garage pop-punk at its best. In subsequent releases the band has grown into a more eclectic, alternative style. "Daisy" is such a leap from previous works that I thought I had purchased the wrong record at first listen, but I have to say the new angle suits them. It sounds like The White Stripes, The Killers, and Brand New themselves met and had a jam session to create this album. The new concentration on guitar parts is what reminds me of The White Stripes. The record opens with an industrial-sounding guitar and doesn’t stop evolving from there. A couple of slow tracks feature clean, driving riffs that lead the songs to their climaxes. The most interesting guitar part is on a song called "Be Gone." It’s best described as a nasty blues lick that puts you right into the Louisiana bayou The technique reminiscent of The Killers is the mechanical and electronic aspects of the album. Generated beats on the title track "Daisy" and electronic touches to the vocals throughout mirror The Killers. This aspect of the album lends itself to more pop-style songs. The key ingredient is what Brand New itself brought to the table. Vocalist Jesse Lacey integrates soft vocals with key portions of songs in screamed vocals. The introspective and sometimes dark lyrics are a refreshing look at Lacey’s life view. The music may have changed some, but the heart and voice of Brand New remains. I have one beef with the band’s latest efforts. The song titles leave something to be longed for. In the past it has rocked great titles like "Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades," an allusion to the repeated line in the movie "Rushmore." There was also a "Home Alone 2" line that the band used as a song title, "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t." Instead, this album has dull one or two word titles, but I guess that’s part of growing up. If you’re a fan of Brand New this is a must purchase. If you were previously unaware of the band and have some extra money consider purchasing it. "Daisy" just might make your day.
