brand new is one of the few bands that have stuck with me through that whole ‘scene’ explosion of the 2001s and 2002s. they’ve been consistently impressive and months ago, i would’ve sworn on the fact that jesse lacey was like a lurker shadow of mine who was writing my autobiography. 2006’s the devil and god couldn’t have hit me at a more perfect time. that album has since become my favorite brand new record (to the dismay of many, i’m sure).

however, daisy is a disappointment. it’s scatterbrained and lyrically just doesn’t sit with me whatsoever. i had a hard time relating to a good amount of it and after two listens, i was left uninspired and bored with it. after finally deciding to review it, i ended up spinning it about 8 more times in the process, a lot of it began to grow on me. that being said, it still isn’t the brand new album i was waiting 3 years for.

review after the jump.

– grizzly

Artist: Brand New
Album: Daisy
Record Label: Interscope Records
Release Date: September 22, 2009

Brand New has always maintained an elusive presence among their peers and fans. They’ve constantly shown unreliable behavior and are incessantly unpredictable, especially with every passing release being a drastic departure from its predecessor.

With 2006’s The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, the band seemed to capitalize on an more ethereal and at the same time, aggressive approach to 2003’s cult classic, Deja Entendu. Without fail, Daisy is expectantly an even further removal from the band who once sang “Last Chance to Lose Your Keys,” but that’s not the real problem here.

With “Vices,” a shy lo-fi vinyl spin of an opera song that plays more like a practical joke bursts vehemently into an clusterfuck of distortion and the distilled shrieks of Jesse Lacey, whose words are indiscernible. It’s confusing as to what is going on with this song. After the initial shock of “Vices” rubs off, we’re thrown into “Bed,” a dreary call for any and all Modest Mouse influences to come to life. This is the first of many awkward transitions on Daisy.

Many of the album’s more streamlined efforts (“Bed”) are where Brand New has a true grasp of direction and clarity. “You Stole” and “Noro,” two album cuts clocking in at over 6 minutes each, are true testaments to how much of a journey a single song could be.

Upon first listen, it seems almost too apparent that the group was unsure about the direction they actually wanted to take with Daisy. There is two-step shuffle between the drowned and inebriated nature of a song like “You Stole” and the furious and sharp-tongued scolds of “Sink.” It seems as though years of touring with the likes of Colour Revolt, mewithoutYou and Manchester Orchestra resonated with the band. It’s as if they wanted to incorporate the musical stylings of their peers, only turning the levels up to eleven. Likewise, they’ve also channeled every possible song from Nirvana (“Bought a Bride”) and the Pixies (“Noro”), molding them into an imperfect and completely cluttered collection that boasts a genre tiptoeing along the lines of grunge and post hardcore.

One of the album’s biggest distractions of Daisy is the fact that guitarist Vincent Accardi has taken the reigns as the primary songwriter, shoving Jesse Lacey in the back seat. His lyrical musings are a stark contrast to that of Lacey’s in the sense that Accardi doesn’t seem to know how to handle his morbid bitterness as well and is a bit less accessible. This is not to say Accardi isn’t a penman, as “Gasoline” and “At The Bottom” are album notables.

As a direct result of the shortcomings, Daisy is exhausting. The complexity and the overall split personality are its biggest flaws and proverbial downfalls. Brand New has always had a resiliency that is unparalleled by their peers, though. How’s this for a safe bet – their next venture will be as polarizing as their last three, and the fans will continue to follow suit.

Grade: 6.9/10

brand new on myspace

preview tracks from daisy:

brand new – “bed”

brand new – “noro”

oh and remember the daisy sessions? well here is a .zip file of better versions. includes the sessions of jesus, at the bottom, sowing season, bed and bought a bride.

[DOWNLOAD]

-grizzly