Brand New - Daisy (2009)

Unfortunately, it sounds like Brand New is trying not to be Brand New anymore. On their last album, “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me” (2006), they really came into their own. I had always liked them, even when they were melodramatic pop-punkers in the early 2000s. Of course, I was a melodramatic high-schooler then who identified with their scathing anthems of not fitting in, but recognizing that by not fitting in they became sort of able to fit in where they really wanted to fit in. This stuff was a lot more meaningful when I was 16. On “The Devil and God” they shed much of their angst in favor of a more thoughtful, pensive tone. It really worked in their favor because it lent a sort of credibility to the music. The songs were catchier and it became easier to respect them as musicians.

I was eagerly waiting for “Daisy.” The difference between this album and their others is an immediately noticeable darker, less accessible feel. I wonder if they were trying to write their “Pinkerton” with this album. The problem is it sounds like Brand New is making a conscious effort here, so it doesn’t really seem authentic. “At the Bottom,” for example, is a fairly catchy song. It sort of plods along with a midtempo rhythm to it that is plenty danceable, but the vocals sound so unenthused, and the song is drowned in wailing guitar screeching. Imagine a band playing one of their hits but obviously not enjoying it. “Vices,” “Gasoline” and “Bought a Bride” are all a mess. There are a few high points: “You Stole” is a good enough song, I think it’s the most successful attempt at what they’re going for here. It’s a ballad that never really gets the life I’d hope it would, but plods along with that sort of emotive distress perfected by bands like Fugazi. “Sink” is my favorite song here. “Daisy” is a decent song that actually sounds like Brand New. Jesse Lacey’s voice sounds like him again. He really needs a hug. Unfortunately, while the song sounds like Brand New, it isn’t amongst their best songs. It just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. “Noro” is also quite good, but it changes direction too much.

I am not the type to hold it against a band when they try to expand their sound or try new things. They aren’t here to serve me, they are their own people and their art should be exactly what they want it to be, but I can’t help but feel disappointed. This is a good album, but it isn’t what I hoped for. These songs could be a lot better if less thought was put into them—if they didn’t try so hard to be mature and confusing, if a few layers of distortion and fuzz were stripped away. It’s just a bit too much. It isn’t immediately recognizable as Brand New. Their music has always felt very approachable, innocent; this album seems to present them as a bit threatening. I wouldn’t have recognized it as them. If you liked any of their other albums, there is absolutely no guarantee you will like this. It definitely is not bad though. Mediafire

1. Vices (3:24)

2. Bed (3:10)

3. At the Bottom (4:04)

4. Gasoline (3:32)

5. You Stole (6:00)

6. Be Gone (1:31)

7. Sink (3:20)

8. Bought a Bride (3:07)

9. Daisy (3:06)

10. In a Jar (3:06)

11. Noro (6:27)