Brand New-“Daisy” a Review


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By: Vanessa Paredes

album: Daisy

Band: Brand new

release date: sept 22 2009

Record Label: Interscope/DGC/Procrastinate! Music Traitors

Formed in Long Island, New York, Brand New has been causing a scene for almost decade now, and with three successful releases, it is safe to say their fourth was highly anticipated. Daisy hit stores Sept. 22, after nine long months of creative juices flowing and hours on end spent in the recording studio. The band sets a noticeably more aggressive tone with Daisy, though the record is still somewhat relevant to their previous album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me in the way that Jesse Lacey (lead singer/songwriter) delivers a dark atmosphere along with passionately sung lyrics that will have the listener begging for more. Yet it is hard to believe Daisy is Brand New’s work when comparing it to their first two albums Déjà Entendu and Your Favorite Weapon. A once punk band that produced songs that can easily be described as every 18-year-old’s anthem has grown up and changed its ways.

An experimental approach has been taken with Daisy, playing around with distortion and abstract sounds giving it a unique edge. The most notable approach Brand New took in their latest album was the intro/outro. As the first track “Vices” begins you are sent back in time to the 1950’s with a church hymn featuring a vintage vocal and piano recording, and before you know it Brand New dives into an intense introduction that will set the mood for the rest of the album. The subsequent tracks throughout set up a similar atmosphere, yet each one still has something extraordinary to offer. Among these, “At the Bottom” really stands out; it has a catchy melody accompanied by whimsical lyrics and impressive break down that will have you rewinding the song to hear it over and over again. The song is considered to be Daisy’s single.

When it came down to a well written song chances are track 7 “Daisy” will truly satisfy the lyric lover in you; versus like this one really make an impression:“I’m a mountain that has been moved, I’m a fugitive that has no legs to run, I’m a preacher with no pulpit, spewing a sermon that goes on and on and on…Well if we take all these things and we bury them fast , and we’ll pray that they turn into seeds, to roots, and then grass.” The entire album was written by not only Lacey, but guitarist Vincent Accardi as well.

The record finishes off with “Noro” which delivers an upbeat rhythmic drum line that catches your attention instantly, as well as the highly appropriate line “I’m on my way out”. This is easily the best song featured on Daisy. Just as one thinks the song is finished, that same familiar 1950’s Hymn previously heard in the introduction ties it all up, successfully completing the album.

It is important to keep in mind that Daisy is an acquired taste, and it is more than likely that its listeners will have to give it a few spins before it grows on them. In addition, Daisy is not meant for the general mainstream audience, so this album may not be for everybody. Daisy is sure to please Brand New’s die-hard admirers as they will recognize well developed chord progressions, drum and bass lines, as well as thought provoking and mature lyrics. Overall the production of Daisy is phenomenal and should not be overlooked; albums like this one do not come around very often.

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