Brand New is one of my favorite bands of all time, partially because they have “grown up” with me. From being a fourteen year old freshman in high school listening to Your Favorite Weapon in my bedroom, to hearing Daisy live as a twenty -one year old senior in college. Yes, their sound has changed in a way, less pop punk. They’ve become darker, more adult, more Modest Mouse and less Taking back Sunday. Some Brand New purists haven’t liked the changes over the years, especially with the release of The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me in 2006. But like most people regarding their favorite band, I like anything they put out, just for different reasons. Daisy has been much awaited. They toured this summer, playing a sold out show at the Subterranean (which was excellent!), and played a few songs off the upcoming album.
Unfortunately Daisy doesn’t quite blossom. Some of my friends and I say it’s like a continuation of Devil and God. However, I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s more like the b-side tracks of that album. If you liked The Devil and God then listen to the singles off the album. In an interview to Kerrang! Magazine, Jessie Lacey said , “We were thinking a lot more about what we’d want to play when we were up onstage rather than actually what you’d want to hear on a record”. Well yes, this album was pretty fun to hear live, but not fun to listen to all the way through. “At The Bottom” and “Vices” are worth listening to a few times. “Gasoline” is one of their hardest songs ever written, and the lyrics, similar to those off of on Devil and God, are great. Although this isn’t the best thing we’ve seen from these punk rockers, it’s not something that isn’t worth checking out.
Key Tracks: “Vices”, “At The Bottom”, “Gasoline”
WPGU Music Staff Rating: W-P & ½
W = Poor
W-P = OK
W-P-G = Good
W-P-G-U = Great!
