Brand New - Daisy

[Drew Beringer]

Brand New – Daisy
Release Date: September 22, 2009
Record Label: Interscope/DGC/Procrastinate! Music Traitors

Brand New never sent you a lyric booklet for their 2006 release, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New doesn’t write “hooky” songs like “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” or “The Quiet Things No One Ever Knows” anymore, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New doesn’t like to talk to American press very often, if at all, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New gave their new songs short, vague titles instead of quirky, long-winded titles, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New named their new album Daisy, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New decided to place a fox in a forest on the cover, and that probably pisses you off.

Brand New doesn’t care.

You see, c-c-c-controversy always seems to pop its head into whatever Brand New is doing. Whether it’s the fact there are no lyrics included once again on Daisy, or that they didn’t play “70x7” at last night’s show, someone is going to be pissed. And they don’t care if you hate it, because Brand New is into this whole music gig for themselves.

While Brand New has evolved and grown with each release, nothing compares to the leap they’ve made with their fourth studio album. Daisy is, without a doubt, the most challenging and polarizing work of their career. From the very moment you hear opening track, “Vices,” which begins with a gentle hymnal that abruptly transitions into the pure chaos that is Jesse Lacey’s screams and Vincent Accardi’s spazzed out guitar, you know you’re in for a hell of a ride.

The opening track is just the first of many chaotic intrusions. “Gasoline," which follows the underwhelming “Bed” and grave first single, “At The Bottom,” sounds like it’s on fire. Lacey screeches throughout while the trio of guitarists (Accardi, Lacey, and Derrick Sherman) join forces with drummer Brian Lane to fuel the pace.

The dramatic “You Stole” will go down as one of the finer Brand New songs, as the rise and fall balance of the track showcases the brilliant work of bassist Garrett Tierney. The track also offers the lyrical nugget of “So if I’m a liar, and you’re a thief, at least we both know where the other one sleeps,” while this track might draw comparison to some of the work from the band's breakthrough album, Deja Entendu.

Ignoring the indecipherable weirdness of “Be Gone,” what follows may be one of the best sequences of songs you’ll hear in 2009. Tracks seven through eleven are the money beets, the ones you see by the roadside that make you say, “wow, I need this beet right now.” The aggressive “Sink” offers up some biting lyricism ("You wanna sink, so I’m gonna let you"), and will be a crowd favorite this fall during their nationwide tour. The guitar work shines again on “Bought A Bride,” while the title track is a haunting and emotionally heavy number, as it will impact you somewhat similar to “Limousine (MS Rebridge).”

The final two tracks, “In A Jar” and “Noro,” transition together in a way that makes the final nine and a half minutes of the album a massive closer that will evoke all your emotions. In fact, these two tracks work perfectly as a summary of Daisy. “In A Jar” will rock you to your core with its boiling chorus, while “Noro” comes across as Brand New’s swan song. Lacey has touched on the topic in recent interviews, and the closer does nothing to extinguish those flames, as Lacey howls, “I’m on my way out. Well, I’ve tried, God knows that I’ve tried.”

Daisy is also the band’s vaguest collection of lyrics to date. Accardi took on a bigger role in the songwriting this time around, but being the sly foxes they are, Brand New doesn’t list which songs Accardi or Lacey wrote. One thing is clear though: Daisy is not a happy record, as the record’s theme revolves around fire, forests (loneliness), and religion, and the music mirrors these themes throughout.

Brand New has created a record that will leave you exhausted. You’ll be worn out by the jarring tempo changes, confounded by the vague topics, and abused by Lacey’s prominent yell. Producer Mike Sapone does his best to help Brand New reach its darkest point, and Daisy is auditory proof, as this is the Long Island quintet’s most challenging and distinguished album yet. Some will love it, some will hate it, most will perplexed by it and will need many listens to digest it. But one thing is certain, this is a record that will shake you. And that will probably piss you off.

But you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Track Listing:
1. Vices
2. Bed
3. At the Bottom
4. Gasoline
5. You Stole
6. Be Gone
7. Sink
8. Bought a Bride
9. Daisy
10. In a Jar
11. Noro
Produced by: Mike Sapone and Brand New

Brand New is:
Jesse Lacey – vocals/rhythm guitar
Vincent Accardi – lead guitar/vocals
Garrett Tierney – bass
Brian Lane – drums
Derrick Sherman – rhythm guitar/keys/vocals

Official Website (http://www.fightoffyourdemons.com); Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/brandnew); Official AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/brandnew)

[lovelesscrux]

love this album, great review

[*crying stars*]

Neat review, Drew.

[introduction]

this record is a stayer, for sure.

[Nick Le]

Love this album, and I love it more and more with each listen. Great review Drew.

[WhitestKidUKnow]

definitely a great review and a nice read.

[katieissweet]

One of the best reviews I have read in a while. After letting this album sit with me for a while I absolutely love it.

[NateFoundGlory]

Holy shit. Probably one of the finer reviews I've read. Makes me wanna pick up this cd/finally start really getting into Brand New.

[musikjunky311]

Great review. Not an album for the faint of heart.

[irthesteve]

The first thought after I first heard this album was that Brand New don't give a fuck what anyone thinks, at all. And I love that.

Great album, I'm a huge fan

[The Nick Life]

This review was perfect. The bassist's name is Garret.

[SwedishHeat]

dugg for the money beets.

[Drew Beringer]

This review was perfect. The bassist's name is Garret.
haha yeah, that's what happens when I am thinking about the drumming while writing about the bass work. thanks for pointing it out.

[xbuzzlightyearz]

Roty.

[Mirrorsandfevers]

Great review.

[XLT917]

Great review, great album.

[lostmeandering]

spot on. i'd put trains as a major theme for this record as well.

[Adam Pfleider]

I think I may be the only person on this website who likes "Be Gone"...in fact...I love it!

[TheBaroness]

This is a very good album. Leaps and bounds ahead of their previous work.

[The Nick Life]

hahaha no problem.

[TheBaroness]

I think I may be the only person on this website who likes "Be Gone"...in fact...I love it!
I also like it.

[hiya]

really great review. this album has grown on me after each listen and now I love it.

[UnderMyDreams]

Wow... This is hands down the best review I have ever read. Love the review, love the album.

[domotime2]

haha corky & good review fella! ill have to give this album another listen, becuase of your review.

note: but if a band doesnt care that they piss off their fan base or the people who appreciated them from the beginning....then i dont care to take the effort into trying to enjoy their newer material. Personally, i think it's a slap in the face when a band doesnt condescend AT ALL to initial fan base. Now i'm not part of this "early fan base" so nothing they do really offends me, but i'm just saying in general when a band does that, I can certainly understand when fans get PISSED OFF.

But, ill certainly give this album another try based on this lovely review.

[Drew Beringer]

I also like it.
It fits within the context of the album, but it's still weird and fairly indecipherable, but I didn't intend that to mean it's awful. haha, it just really does nothing for me.

[Drew Beringer]

haha corky & good review fella! ill have to give this album another listen, becuase of your review.

note: but if a band doesnt care that they piss off their fan base or the people who appreciated them in the beginning....then i dont care to take the effort into trying to enjoy their newer material. Personally, i think it's a slap in the face when a band doesnt condescend AT ALL to initial fan base. Now i'm not part of this "early fan base" so nothing they do really offends me, but i'm just saying in general when a band does that, I can certainly understand when fans get PISSED OFF.

But, ill certainly give this album another try based on this lovely review.
well, the first goal of any band is to write the music you want to write, and that's what Brand New did with this album. They don't care if the fans hate it or complain, because they are happy with what they wrote, and in the end, that's all that matters (or should matter) to bands.

[pr0digy]

One of the best reviews I've read all year.

[Sarcasm]

Great review, Drew.

[Indoor Living]

It's a great review, and the album is very slowly growing on me. Vices is still just...yeah. Amazing review though, you nailed what everyone was thinking.

[domotime2]

well, the first goal of any band is to write the music you want to write, and that's what Brand New did with this album. They don't care if the fans hate it or complain, because they are happy with what they wrote, and in the end, that's all that matters (or should matter) to bands.
but how can they not care AT ALL how their fans feel though? Of course a band needs to be PROUD of what they write....but if you choose to almost completely dump the sound that many of your fans liked you for in the first place, then i'm sure you'd understand why many fans would be pisssed off.

(im not one of these people...ha this is key)

[Mens]

you rock drew b

[Carpathia]

I'm not pissed with Brand New. I applaud them for trying new things with each record. I think it's a good record. I like for what it is, but as I've said earlier today, I think I could be even more happier with Daisy if it was an EP consisting of At The Bottom, Gasoline (edited without the whole noise at the end), You Stole, Sink and Bought A Bride.

People beyond this website seems to hate them for not writing the same album all over again. I applaud them for sticking to their guns and writing what they really want to. Even if I end up not loving the end result completely. So yeah, Daisy is a good record.

[zonto]

3 comments huh? Try 56 threeve!

[ImTheSheriff]

but how can they not care AT ALL how their fans feel though? Of course a band needs to be PROUD of what they write....but if you choose to almost completely dump the sound that many of your fans liked you for in the first place, then i'm sure you'd understand why many fans would be pisssed off.

(im not one of these people...ha this is key)
they "dumped" their early sound because they aren't in high school anymore. they grew up and wrote better songs. get over it.

[RuckerPark]

is Jason's review still coming then?

[FUCKDIRTYWIPES]

great review.

[domotime2]

they "dumped" their early sound because they aren't in high school anymore. they grew up and wrote better songs. get over it.
hmm haha did you NOT see the part saying that (im not one of these people)...im just trying to empathize with why fans WOULD be pissed off.

[greenteaallday]

Great Review; Kudos.

[ImTheSheriff]

hmm haha did you NOT see the part saying that (im not one of these people)...im just trying to empathize with why fans WOULD be pissed off.
i know, i'm just talking in general.

[StartAngry&Mad]

Really well written, except don't fans have to be pissed off at the album for the concept to work? I can't find another BN fan friend that's as disappointed by the album as I am

[Romancebled]

great review Drew. one of the better reviews that i've seen on ap.net lately.

[swt_catastrophe]

A very fitting review. Nice job.

[bobcatbob18]

I don't think this band is selfish. They just know what they want and that cannot be said about many other bands. Awesome review, Drew.

[Drew Beringer]

is Jason's review still coming then?
I dunno. All I know is he didn't/doesn't have the time to finish his review because he is busy with the very important behind the scenes stuff of the site, trying to make AP.net THE MOST POWERFUL SITE IN THE WORLD!

[ActorInThisPlay]

I love this record. Great review Drew. I agree with you on Be Gone, as a standalone track, I'm not a huge fan of it but in the context of the whole album, it just fits perfectly. There isn't a single track I skip on this CD because every single one fits in perfectly.

[RuckerPark]

I dunno. All I know is he didn't/doesn't have the time to finish his review because he is busy with the very important behind the scenes stuff of the site, trying to make AP.net THE MOST POWERFUL SITE IN THE WORLD!
haha, right on. well in any event, very well written, Drew.

[Drew Beringer]

Really well written, except don't fans have to be pissed off at the album for the concept to work? I can't find another BN fan friend that's as disappointed by the album as I am
it's more of a statement on no matter what Brand New, they elicit a response from people that very few bands on this site can't do. This album is very polarizing and I have seen plenty of comments on this site from the last few months displaying a pissed off nature haha.

[Momo32T]

Very fitting review. This album is chaos, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

[vivatoto56]

I Love this album

and I'm not going to lie, for some reason reading this review made me like it even more

Very fair review...thank you

[greenteaallday]

note: but if a band doesnt care that they piss off their fan base or the people who appreciated them from the beginning....then i dont care to take the effort into trying to enjoy their newer material. Personally, i think it's a slap in the face when a band doesnt condescend AT ALL to initial fan base. Now i'm not part of this "early fan base" so nothing they do really offends me, but i'm just saying in general when a band does that, I can certainly understand when fans get PISSED OFF.


I've been a Brand New fan for a very long time almost from the beginning i'd say, and I really just respect that they make music the way they want to make it.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

I think the lyric in Noro is "I'm on my way to Hell," not "I'm on my way out."

[Poochemist]

Review was worth the wait, although I think that most members have already made up their minds about the album at this point.

[Carpathia]

they "dumped" their early sound because they aren't in high school anymore. they grew up and wrote better songs. get over it.
The same statement could be said about pretty much any other band. And I agree with you. TBS got bashed similarly this year for making a record with a different feel from their previous ones. I think it's amazing now. Bands change their sound because they won't sound like they did almost ten years ago forever.

With that said, I love parts of this record, but not its entirety. But I do appreciate them for having the guts to abandon their sound and try different things. I think the key word isn't "better", but "different".

[nlcentralchamps]

Nicely done.

[theyellowdart]

The review matches the album, great job Drew. Enjoyed this one tons more than Devil and God. Definitely, real happy about it.

[StartAngry&Mad]

it's more of a statement on no matter what Brand New, they elicit a response from people that very few bands on this site can't do. This album is very polarizing and I have seen plenty of comments on this site from the last few months displaying a pissed off nature haha.
No, you're definately right, I've probably never had friends more passionate about a band than Brand New, and it'd be impossible for this album to be universally accepted by their fans, they know that, and I think Jesse's been revelling in that for months now leading up to the release

[Drew Beringer]

I think the lyric in Noro is "I'm on my way to Hell," not "I'm on my way out."
yeah, not having the lyrics to this is really a bitch and a half. Jason has a .pdf of the lyrics and I'm sure he will give me the correct lyrics whenever he reads this.

[ImTheSheriff]

I think the lyric in Noro is "I'm on my way to Hell," not "I'm on my way out."
definitely not.

[Carpathia]

The lyrics in Noro are definitely "I'm on my way to Hell". I can pretty much assure everyone of that.

[steve187]

Awesome review, Drew.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

definitely not.
Pretty sure it is. Get some headphones and listen real close. There are too many syllables.

[jay_klinkhammer]

Great review but I'm just not a fan of it. I'm one of those people that DO miss the old Brand New...I know it's heresy on this site, I just can't help it.

[Carpathia]

Pretty sure it is. Get some headphones and listen real close. There are too many syllables.
You're right.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

yeah, not having the lyrics to this is really a bitch and a half. Jason has a .pdf of the lyrics and I'm sure he will give me the correct lyrics whenever he reads this.
Ya, I'd imagine as a reviewer that makes things difficult. It's funny if you try to look up the lyrics because most lyric sites are missing large chunks of songs that they have replaced with ellipses.

Oh, also I forgot to say, good review Drew.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

You're right.
Haha, thanks.

[ImTheSheriff]

Pretty sure it is. Get some headphones and listen real close. There are too many syllables.
it's just the way he sings 'out' that makes you think that. there is no way he says 'to hell'.

[Revanth]

I wrote a review of the CD. Give it a second opinion. Great record though.

Review is at.

destroyefficiency.blogspot.com/

If you wouldn't mind clicking on the ads while you are there, i would appreciate it.

[brenByah]

This review deserves :appl:

[HometownHero]

Awesome review. Awesome record

[alliens182]

"c-c-c-controversy"...ial... nice touch. solid review.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

it's just the way he sings 'out' that makes you think that. there is no way he says 'to hell'.
I'm not sure why there is "no way" he is singing that and neither of us can know for sure so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[ImTheSheriff]

I'm not sure why there is "no way" he is singing that and neither of us can know for sure so we'll just have to agree to disagree.
listen close there is no 't' sound, i just can't hear 'to hell' at all. but whatever.

[Cliff Diver]

very good review drew

[Drew Beringer]

I am kinda saddened that only one person has acknowledge the Office quote in the review haha

[Carpathia]

I'm not sure why there is "no way" he is singing that and neither of us can know for sure so we'll just have to agree to disagree.
I know something that you don't know.

Trust me, it is Hell, not out.

[gladnads]

I THINK YOU'RE MISSING A DIGIT ON YOUR SCORE THERE.

gee drew how did you miss that extra digit

[gladnads]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/benjio/apnet.jpg

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

listen close there is no 't' sound, i just can't hear 'to hell' at all. but whatever.
Well, I don't seem to be the only person who thinks this. And I definitely hear 'to' with a t.

[gladnads]

in before 1000 spam emails.

[Loveisa4lttrwrd]

I know something that you don't know.

Trust me, it is Hell, not out.
Haha, you don't have to convince me. Tell it to imthesherrifx.

[zonto]

Jesse Lacey just touched my red area...

I think I liked it

[PunkDrums182]

Great review. I'm in love with this album.

[AlkalineAshes]

i agree on all counts. Brand New continues to be one of the only bands who is always solid.

[ezco25]

perfect review

[March_Faster!!]

I actually like the cover "art" and this album was nothing like what I expected. I didn't expect all of the screaming and thought it was going to be another granola album.

[Paulb-182]

Love this album. Great review

[borborygmus]

great review a++++ would read again

[iPierce]

yeah, not having the lyrics to this is really a bitch and a half. Jason has a .pdf of the lyrics and I'm sure he will give me the correct lyrics whenever he reads this.
Jason already did this in another thread and confirmed that it is in fact "I'm on my way to hell." Although I still hear "on my way out" when I listen to it, so it doesn't really matter to me.

[drewk16]

ive probly read 7 or 8 reviews trying to get a grasp on this record and this is my absolute favorite. spot on and i love the opening of it. nice job.

[iPierce]

ive probly read 7 or 8 reviews trying to get a grasp on this record and this is my absolute favorite. spot on and i love the opening of it. nice job.
I think your avatar is my all time favorite album art.

[ZeoVGM]

Possibly my album of the year. Amazing in every way.

[blindrider529]

"But one thing is certain, this record that will shake you" Say what?

[spaceagehero]

I bet people used to say the same thing about the beatles - "why dont you play pop music anymore etc" when they were going through their growing up and getting old phase.

I think its a terrific record, I personally like it when bands don't listen to fans and just write what they want to play.

[ched zeppelin]

Perfect review and yeah i am pissed that the song titles are short !!!!!

[abusedcat]

This is our generations In Utero, our generations Vs..

[brenByah]

it's just the way he sings 'out' that makes you think that. there is no way he says 'to hell'.
I know there's really no way to prove it, but I'm pretty confident he says both "I'm on my way out" AND "I'm on my way to hell." This is what I'm hearing:

I'm on my way to hell
I'm on my way to hell

I'm on my way out
I'm on my way out

I'm on my way to hell
I'm on my way to hell
I'm on my way out
I'm on my way out

I'm on my way to hell
I'm on my way to hell
I'm on my way out
I'm on my way out

To me it's clearly not the same line through out. When he says out I can hear the "ow" sound and when it's hell I can hear the "l's."

[superBMRuth]

fuck the haters, this is an AOTY contender.

[Chris Fallon]

After hearing Jason's initial thoughts on this, I wasn't sure I'd dig it. But with every listen, I enjoy it more and more. Very intense record, I love it.

[slowlyfadinaway]

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

[deezee]

Nice review Drew! But this record didn't piss me off. I loved it the first time I heard it and I agree about "You Stole". The songs have some kinda groove to them that makes me tap my feet haha

But yeah the album is great but I don't think it will be my AOTY. It's fantastic but not the best thing I've heard this year.

[deezee]

haha corky & good review fella! ill have to give this album another listen, becuase of your review.

note: but if a band doesnt care that they piss off their fan base or the people who appreciated them from the beginning....then i dont care to take the effort into trying to enjoy their newer material. Personally, i think it's a slap in the face when a band doesnt condescend AT ALL to initial fan base. Now i'm not part of this "early fan base" so nothing they do really offends me, but i'm just saying in general when a band does that, I can certainly understand when fans get PISSED OFF.

But, ill certainly give this album another try based on this lovely review.
I kinda agree with what your saying. But I respect bands when they change their sound. It's like saying who cares if this album flops haha

[ffadam]

This is the only review fitting for this album. Good work Drew!

[Burn_Burn_Burn]

Drew..a job well done and quite a pleasant read.

[Smeee]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/benjio/apnet.jpg

Ha! The internet now has your email!

[Paulb-182]

Jason already did this in another thread and confirmed that it is in fact "I'm on my way to hell." Although I still hear "on my way out" when I listen to it, so it doesn't really matter to me.
I think I want it to be "way out" way to hell sounds shit

[fran.182]

Great review, great record.

[blinkme]

I liked this from the first listen. I've been a fan of the band since Your Favourite Weapon. Deja Entendu still ranks as my favourite album by them and in my top 5 of all time. The Devil and God... was a grower and for some reason I had a feeling I was going to hate this. I enjoy every song with the exception of 'Be Gone.'

[beckster]

I liked this from the first listen. I've been a fan of the band since Your Favourite Weapon. Deja Entendu still ranks as my favourite album by them and in my top 5 of all time. The Devil and God... was a grower and for some reason I had a feeling I was going to hate this. I enjoy every song with the exception of 'Be Gone.'

What? Be Gone is awesome.

Best Daisy review yet.

[Chop[chop]]

Very well written. Was the toughest to tackle and you pulled it off.
I agree with your score of 90/100, I think. Just maybe not some of your comments, but I can live with that!

[NateGolubiewski]

This is definitely an album that takes a few listens to get into, but once you do, it's fantastic.

[stereokiller]

Roty.
roty indeed.

and this record is sick. seriously. brilliant.

[imnick]

great review and great album.

I dont like the way that everyone keeps suggesting that brand new dont care about their fans. I have spoken to jesse at length a few times and there is no way they dont care about the fans. In fact i think he is so self concious about himself that the only way he can do what he does is by making music that he is proud of, and the same can be said about the rest of the band.

Also in terms of playing old songs like 70x7, they try to play sets that people will enjoy and they understand that people love these songs but they are in a different place now. Jesse said that when they visit places that they have not toured much such as Australia or whatever they try and play these songs that most fans havnt heard but in the US they are less likely to play these songs because they have been doing it for so long. Fans that have grown with brand new have surely heard these songs by now and whilst some people are obviously just getting into brand new now and like YFW better than daisy or TDAG and want to here jude law or 70X7 or whatever and they might get lucky and hear these songs but the band have grown so much since then. If any of you write music and have done for a long period im sure you would probably look back at very old work and cringe, or perhaps even a story or a poem you wrote in school or something. They have new work they are proud of and they would love you to want to hear it.

Brand new is a band that attracts fanatical fans, which is great, but the band themselves are not the sort of people that were born to deal with fanatical fans. They are a group of friends and musicians who just want to do what they do best.

[goodarmcindy]

This is a great review, I think you sum it up perfectly.

[timb89]

this isn't doing it for me after 3 or 4 listens.

[introduction]

great review and great album.

I dont like the way that everyone keeps suggesting that brand new dont care about their fans. I have spoken to jesse at length a few times and there is no way they dont care about the fans. In fact i think he is so self concious about himself that the only way he can do what he does is by making music that he is proud of, and the same can be said about the rest of the band.

Also in terms of playing old songs like 70x7, they try to play sets that people will enjoy and they understand that people love these songs but they are in a different place now. Jesse said that when they visit places that they have not toured much such as Australia or whatever they try and play these songs that most fans havnt heard but in the US they are less likely to play these songs because they have been doing it for so long. Fans that have grown with brand new have surely heard these songs by now and whilst some people are obviously just getting into brand new now and like YFW better than daisy or TDAG and want to here jude law or 70X7 or whatever and they might get lucky and hear these songs but the band have grown so much since then. If any of you write music and have done for a long period im sure you would probably look back at very old work and cringe, or perhaps even a story or a poem you wrote in school or something. They have new work they are proud of and they would love you to want to hear it.

Brand new is a band that attracts fanatical fans, which is great, but the band themselves are not the sort of people that were born to deal with fanatical fans. They are a group of friends and musicians who just want to do what they do best.
one of the most sensible things i've ever heard from a brand new fan. and god i hope they come to australia again, i missed them last time, and it almost made me die.

[imnick]

Thanks
Spoke to jesse about Australia in july. He hopes to be back in the first half of next year so fingers crossed.

you missed some amazing shows.

[Chemical Love]

Decent album. I'll listen to it again in a couple of months and my opinion might change.

[fearthesloths]

Great review. Nailed everything about this band these days and this album.

[stuntmaniac]

thanks for this review mate!
Love the album, would have given the lyrics just a tad more, but still, thanks again :)

[trappedintime]

No lie, one of the best reviews you've ever written Drew. But I seriously thought it was gonna be Tate who was gonna review it. I really wanted to hear his say in it. I digress, the album was incredible. I went into it very judgemental and it blew me away from the first track. Very good album.

[stayillogical]

Hahaha, wow, GREAT REVIEW. Really glad that you did this one Drew.

[Viva Sonata]

#2 aoty.

[cereal4life]

Nice review Drew! None of those things in the intro actually annoy me.

[Wisher]

You see, c-c-c-controversy always seems to pop its head into whatever Brand New is doing.


best sentence ever.

[miapiv89]

This is one of the few reviews that kept my attention the entire time, great job.

[Chemical Swirl]

Noro = "my way out". Jesse even confirmed this to our pal, ZubinMoosa

[Oh the Massacre]

Good review. Nailed it.

[ManicanParty49]

This review pissed me off.

[gonfreaks]

Great review, perfect summarizes my thoughts about the album. Everything after Be Gone is fantastic, easily some of my favorite tracks of the year and some of my favorite Brand New songs in general.

[airik625]

Absolutely amazing review. This was such a hard cd to reveiw too. Props!

[circasurviver]

Brand New canceled the show I was going to, that's the only thing they've done that pissed me off. I guess Seattle is cooler than Bakersfield so I'll let it slide.

[jetblack1231]

i'm "pissed off" that brand new isn't that good anymore

[Cue the Sun]

I know something that you don't know.

Trust me, it is Hell, not out.
Jesse has confirmed it's "I'm on my way out."

[Juneau_87]

Maybe Jesse Lacey will let you suck his dick in exchange for such a high score hey? Incredibly undeserving.

[crimsonandclovr]

i'm not a huge fan of this album, or the band for that matter. i like Brand New just fine, but i'm just not their biggest fan.

but this review makes me want to listen to the record again. great review!

[TK]

"Lacey also offers the lyrical gem of “So if I’m a liar, and you’re a thief, at least we both know where the other one sleeps,”

Seriously? That's a lyrical gem?

[popdisaster00]

When did Derrick officially become a member?

[Kurt Retenauer]

Loved the ending of this

[NeededYouMost]

i saw this author rating coming

[rawspinner]

I am kinda saddened that only one person has acknowledge the Office quote in the review haha
"Pam run a comb through your hair."
Great review, Drew. Really great writing. But is it bad that I was more pumped for the Showbread review than this one?

[kbi the crowing]

I think I may be the only person on this website who likes "Be Gone"...in fact...I love it!
I feel the same way haha
I really enjoy it

[Alex DiVincenzo]

Great review

[suppyguppy]

Good review. Haven't stopped listening to this cd in about a month. Brilliant stuff and an excellent soundtrack to fall.

[ThisIsNotDan]

nice review, Drew. awesome album, don't like it quite as much as TDAG though

[aerofan11]

Loved the review, but disagree with the score. I personally would give it a 7/10, some of the songs are hit and miss.

[prefix-core]

Maybe it will grow on me. But as of right now? This album bores me to tears and stinks like pretention. Just because it's "deep" and "dark" doesn't make it memorable.

[_><_]

Great review. Im glad that this got lower Score than beggars.

[Yellowcard2006]

Excellent review. You really did a great job with the song descriptions.

[Matt Chylak]

yeah, not having the lyrics to this is really a bitch and a half. Jason has a .pdf of the lyrics and I'm sure he will give me the correct lyrics whenever he reads this.

The lyrics in Noro are definitely "I'm on my way to Hell". I can pretty much assure everyone of that.

someone in the brand new thread talked to jesse at an acoustic show and he said the line is i'm on my way out, though "to hell would sound much cooler and darker haha" <-verbatim

above average review. good song descriptions, especially ATB "on fire" (which is a nice contrast from the flood in the song). i liked your repetition.

[CrashThisCar789]

This review pisses me off. And it's amazing.

[Indoor Living]

This review pisses me off. And it's amazing.
...what?

[CrashThisCar789]

...what?
Did you even read the review? I'm simply extending the motif. It was an excellent review of an excellent album.

[Indoor Living]

Did you even read the review? I'm simply extending the motif. It was an excellent review of an excellent album.
Haha, god, I feel stupid now. I blanked for like 20 seconds, and thought you were making no sense. My bad, honest mistake.

[CrashThisCar789]

Haha, god, I feel stupid now. I blanked for like 20 seconds, and thought you were making no sense. My bad, honest mistake.
It's all good my friend.

[whiterussian]

A great album yes.


Brand New's greatest leap? I disagree.

[of confidence]

Awesome review. I have to say I agree with most of it.

[Burn That Shit]

The lyric is "I'm on my way out", Jesse has already confirmed that.

[TheInfamousAdam]

Brand New is god... plain and simple

[QuietThings430]

Fantastic review.

[smelltheglove]

GREAT review

[leafsacc]

amazing review, very well written.

This is the kind of album that's probably going to take months to sink in, just like their last one.

[Kill_the_radio]

It's a good album. I liked it but it didn't change my life.

BTW, good review, I liked it!

[jhowdy17]

great review drew, great record too.

[zubinmoosa]

The lyrics in Noro are definitely "I'm on my way to Hell". I can pretty much assure everyone of that.
nope. I asked Jesse two weeks ago. It's "I'm on may way out", all the way through

[drudo182]

Nice review, Drew. Not my favorite BN record, but still a very solid album.

[LastDeclaration]

Great review, great album, but it falls far short of TDAG. Then again, TDAG is my album of the decade, and I kinda knew they'd never surpass it.

[Thomas Nassiff]

this review is spot on. ive written a lot of a review for this album but idk if ill put it up now because i kind of described the songs similar to how you did, drew.

just good writing here.

[TreyForest]

man, this site needs to get better at scoring these reviews
like yeah i love this record but 90% .... thats like dark side of the moon territory .... fuckin never man
more like 75%, really good but not as good as devil and god

[asthenia*]

dumb question... where did guitarist number 3 come from. first he shows up in the jesus video that was posted yesterday
and now he's mentioned in the review. but hes never in any interviews or photo shoots or anything... is he?
/confused
:-|

[asthenia*]

man, this site needs to get better at scoring these reviews
like yeah i love this record but 90% .... thats like dark side of the moon territory .... fuckin never man
more like 75%, really good but not as good as devil and god
dark side of the moon is nowhere near as good as daisy.

*edit, i agree that daisy is not as good as TDAGARIM:-)

[Daigle lol]

The money beets/Dwight reference is probably one of the best lines I've heard in any review.
Awesome review, awesome CD.

[fadedmemories]

Didn't like this record as much as I thought I would, but great review nevertheless.

[gdinsomniac23]

This album is fantastic. I can't stop listening to it. Excellent Review btw.

[mybreakingpoint]

nice review, drew.

this is easily one of my favorite records to come out this year.

[benn10]

Score is way too high.

[coryatlarge]

nice review. i'm so excited to see them this thursday :dance:

[Chris92]

Damn good album...makes it even more difficult for me to decide which BR&NEW album I like the most.
One thing's for sure though, they have become legendary.
Good review Drew, glad to see it finally up here.

[tottivillarossi]

Good review, I've listened to this album relentlessly but I just cannot get into it. Bar 'Sink', 'At The Bottom and 'Vices', it just does nothing for me. Not a patch on TDAG.

[abcdefghijake]

What a witty review...?

[Young Machetes]

Bravo Drew.

[doyouhas?]

The author vs member reviews pretty much sums up this album.

C-

[Sing-The-Sorrow]

Well put review... it does need a few listens to truly appreciate

[Thriftstoresuit]

lol @ money beets

[xbuzzlightyearz]

nope. I asked Jesse two weeks ago. It's "I'm on may way out", all the way through
You are wrong. You are either lying, or Jesse lost his mind and doesn't even remember what he sang. But it is def "HELL". Even the next line points to it being "hell"... "Well, I’ve tried, God knows that I’ve tried." To me it seems he is saying he is not gonna go to heaven when he dies.

Even if Jesse comes in this thread and tells me its "I'm on may way out" I won't believe it... I will call him a liar.

[pete70x7]

Daisy is def an amazing record and i loved this review!!

[God damner]

I agree with the majority of this review. This record is polarizing and for me it kicks ass.

[jtyexists9]

Perfect. This album is amazing, no doubt.

[Back_in_Anger]

Great album. Great review, but calling Bed underwelming? hhhhmm....I don't know about that. But, to each his own.

[smogs]

Drew, you are my favorite reviewer on this site. Fabulous review.

The album isn't at a 90% for me yet, but I'm sure it'll get there with more and more listens. It's definitely a well crafted album.

[mms13]

90? ha!

this might not go over well, but....brand new sucks. They haven't been good since your favorite weapon. This album is just noise. Hard to even call it music

[tottivillarossi]

90? ha!

this might not go over well, but....brand new sucks. They haven't been good since your favorite weapon. This album is just noise. Hard to even call it music
Are you a wum?

[Vanedarlingg]

This review is brilliant. I strive to be at your writing level someday

I loved daisy, but not my favorite out of all of BN's masterpieces.
still great though. Cant wait to see them live.

[Keagan Ilvonen]

Great job Drew.

[Bruised26]

I loved this review, drew! great job.

Im also loving Brand New's new sound, they took quite a risk and probably lost some of their fans, but now they have involved into a band that will for sure be remembered for decades

[Bruised26]

90? ha!

this might not go over well, but....brand new sucks. They haven't been good since your favorite weapon. This album is just noise. Hard to even call it music

Gtfo. I understand that a lot of the songs are noisey, but if you call Deja Entendu and TDAG bad, you can suck it. Much better than anything Blink 182 has ever done!

[kevinAIWW]

Best review I have read on this mess of a website.

Kudos.
I reviewed it. Mine didn't make the cut. :P

[BulleTheory]

77 sounds about right

[diehtc0ke]

I like this album and love this review but I can't get on board with 90%. Maybe for the latter half of the record but not for the CD in its entirety.

[Matthew Tsai]

Your best review by a long shot. It's like you improved over night. Good job.

[codypayne]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....

[You Vandal]

I definitely disagree about "you stole" and you used 'distinguished' in back to back sentences.

[threepunchjim]

I loved this review, drew! great job.

Im also loving Brand New's new sound, they took quite a risk and probably lost some of their fans, but now they have involved into a band that will for sure be remembered for decades
I'm gonna be that dick that says you probably meant "evolved."

[themodernelite]

I'm not pissed with Brand New. I applaud them for trying new things with each record. I think it's a good record. I like for what it is, but as I've said earlier today, I think I could be even more happier with Daisy if it was an EP consisting of At The Bottom, Gasoline (edited without the whole noise at the end), You Stole, Sink and Bought A Bride.

People beyond this website seems to hate them for not writing the same album all over again. I applaud them for sticking to their guns and writing what they really want to. Even if I end up not loving the end result completely. So yeah, Daisy is a good record.
Agreed (minus the EP thing...I'm one of those people who strongly believes in the album as a concept that needs all of its pieces and to be played in the order the artist intended for it). I also have a huge amount of respect for Brand New for pushing the envelope and challenging their listeners to listen to different and experimental things.

This review was perfect; very well written. You didn't try to "suck up" to diehard fans and you didn't slam the band for trying out a new sound. Great job Drew!

[Brett9]

Coming from someone who borderline hated The Devil & God, I think this album is incredible. I just love almost everything about it. Great review - except I personally love "Bed". Might end up being my AOTY, which I would have never thought was possible after how disappointed I was with their last album.

[greenteaallday]

You are wrong. You are either lying, or Jesse lost his mind and doesn't even remember what he sang. But it is def "HELL". Even the next line points to it being "hell"... "Well, I’ve tried, God knows that I’ve tried." To me it seems he is saying he is not gonna go to heaven when he dies.

Even if Jesse comes in this thread and tells me its "I'm on may way out" I won't believe it... I will call him a liar.
You're a fucking moron.

[MorningStar10]

Great Review but even greater album.
In my Itunes downloaded version of the album however i did not receive Daisy, which is a bit weird, if its anything like 'Limousine' like you state, i need it.

[greenteaallday]

90? ha!

this might not go over well, but....brand new sucks. They haven't been good since your favorite weapon. This album is just noise. Hard to even call it music
YEAH 70x7 r00lz

[SteveD]

Cool review.

Still thought the album was terrible.

:whine:

[SteveD]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....

So agreed. I love you for this.

[stonecoldfox]

I think I may be the only person on this website who likes "Be Gone"...in fact...I love it!
that makes two of us, I don't understand it at all...but I think it sounds awesome!

Great review! I haven't stopped listening to this since I bought it...it's just so damn good.

[Blake Solomon]

great review and great album.

I dont like the way that everyone keeps suggesting that brand new dont care about their fans. I have spoken to jesse at length a few times and there is no way they dont care about the fans. In fact i think he is so self concious about himself that the only way he can do what he does is by making music that he is proud of, and the same can be said about the rest of the band.

Also in terms of playing old songs like 70x7, they try to play sets that people will enjoy and they understand that people love these songs but they are in a different place now. Jesse said that when they visit places that they have not toured much such as Australia or whatever they try and play these songs that most fans havnt heard but in the US they are less likely to play these songs because they have been doing it for so long. Fans that have grown with brand new have surely heard these songs by now and whilst some people are obviously just getting into brand new now and like YFW better than daisy or TDAG and want to here jude law or 70X7 or whatever and they might get lucky and hear these songs but the band have grown so much since then. If any of you write music and have done for a long period im sure you would probably look back at very old work and cringe, or perhaps even a story or a poem you wrote in school or something. They have new work they are proud of and they would love you to want to hear it.

Brand new is a band that attracts fanatical fans, which is great, but the band themselves are not the sort of people that were born to deal with fanatical fans. They are a group of friends and musicians who just want to do what they do best.
see this makes more sense to me. sometimes in creative endeavors, and especially in ones as pressurized as this, all you can do is put blinders on and do exactly and only what you want. I think that's what they were doing more than just "fuckign" everyone who cares about them. Brand New's fanbase is rabid and maybe sequestering themselves is the only way they can even write a record anymore. So yeah it sounds different, but to think that they don't want people to buy it or to think that they want a whole new fanbase is not it at all.

That being said, i just can't like this record. "At The Bottom" was the first song i heard and i went nuts for it. then the rest didnt live up in my mind. oh well.

[Simulcast]

I think I may be the only person on this website who likes "Be Gone"...in fact...I love it!
Nope. I love that song too.

[fluke182]

After about five listens to this, more than anything, this album convinces me that they could release a 45 minute cover album of I Kissed a Girl and the Hamster Dance and it would be well received here. While there are highlights ("Vices" and "At the Bottom" are high quality work), this album is incredibly boring overall. I guess I just don't understand why they are good anymore, besides the fact everyone loves Deja Entendu so much they displace their love onto the more recent albums.

But that's me. Well written review Drew, I just cannot for the life of me understand the appeal of this album.

[jonenm18]

I lol'd hard at the money beets section... but I don't think the jump from the last album to this was as drastic as between Deja & God/Devil

[artyinthebank]

Cool story bro.

[MorningStar10]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....

ha probably true.
Then again you guys could put out a cover album of Wham songs, as long as it had AJ's voice it would still probably get a 95% in my eyes.

[mms13]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....
this

ap.net loves brand new's balls in their mouths

[Bruised26]

I'm gonna be that dick that says you probably meant "evolved."

lol yeah. typo

[tanyanafosho]

That was a great review. I loved the whole beginning of the review where it said all the things that probably piss everyone off. "Brand New decided to place a fox in a forest on the cover, and that probably pisses you off" hahaha

[estrella starr]

great review...this is exactly how i feel about this album.

[xapplexpiex]

Fantastic review. My favorite has to be the title track. Oh, and I love this line: "You see, c-c-c-controversy always seems to pop its head into whatever Brand New is doing."

[c_j]

ones you see by the roadside that make you say, “wow, I need this beet right now.”
lol those are money beets, nice Dwight reference

[Sikbeat37]

This review pisses me off.

[aoftbsten]

Tracks seven through eleven are the money beets, the ones you see by the roadside that make you say, “wow, I need this beet right now.”

Favorite line in a review ever.

[MyNameIsRoss]

Brand New pisses me off.

[DanielJames]

One of the best reviews I've read on here. I'm still getting into this record. It's been taking many listens but I enjoy it very much. It's an album I have to be in the mood to listen to however so I don't see this being one of my top of the year picks.

[TakeThs2UrGrave]

good review....this album def. didn't dissapoint

[i_was_a_lid]

Its actually "I'm on my way to hell" from Noro. Good review though!

[cacophonous]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....
I really don't understand or like this rationale. It's a complete cop-out criticism on your part, and it doesn't really make any sense, when you think about it. Fan bases are, more often than not, inclined to dislike it when a band's sound changes--look at BN's eternal discussion-thread cousin, Taking Back Sunday. Making it all the more impressive that BN has retained so much fan interest with the big changes they've made each album.

I don't think people are as easily won over by a band name as you suppose. And to be fair, Daisy has gotten plenty of hate on this site... look at the member ratings. That doesn't reflect what you're suggesting at all.

[drivethruaz]

best review to date

[tottivillarossi]

brand new could put out an album with literally nothing on it and people on this site would find a way to call it edgy and artsy... maybe even dark. probably would get a 95% too....
Haha so true. I hope Brand New's next record is crunkcore, just to see how AP would shatter at the thought of their most loved son and most hated thing ever becoming one. It would be brilliant.

[chassmariee]

:) worthy reveiw, exhausted is the entire point of this album.

[homerjay]

Holy alienating review Batman. And if we're going to include forced Office references, shouldn't we wait until we're reviewing an album that starts out great? Why would the money beets be at the end of the album?

Sorry, I'm in a bad mood.

[xsinkshipsx]

best review I've read on here

[homerjay]

I really don't understand or like this rationale. It's a complete cop-out criticism on your part, and it doesn't really make any sense, when you think about it. Fan bases are, more often than not, inclined to dislike it when a band's sound changes--look at BN's eternal discussion-thread cousin, Taking Back Sunday. Making it all the more impressive that BN has retained so much fan interest with the big changes they've made each album.

I don't think people are as easily won over by a band name as you suppose. And to be fair, Daisy has gotten plenty of hate on this site... look at the member ratings. That doesn't reflect what you're suggesting at all.
That depends. Of course us message board dwellers have a right to let our Brand New love affect our opinions of the album. The problem I have (and I think the guy you quoted has as well) is that that seems to carry over to the staff as well. An album shouldn't be rated based on the context of what the band has done in the past or what we expected from them. The leap that BN has made since Your Favorite Weapon is amazing and they've put out two incredibly solid albums, but that doesn't make Daisy good.

[oldwirehands]

Excellent review, Drew. The only thing I disagree with is mentioning that they are only in it for the music. Everyone is in it for the music from the start, but once it becomes a career, money is the only thing that matters. Money is the only thing that will shelter you, feed you, clothe you, ect.

That being said, Brand New is one of the handful of bands that will actually still be around ten years from now if they don't decide to disband. I say that because most of the artists covered on this site can't write and album that people will still be talking about/buying ten years from now.

[BOBBOY925]

a little too much screaming for me....

[billyboatkid]

Love the album, good review.

[geebee889]

Great review, Drew! I definitely love this album, and I can't wait for the Atlanta tour date. :)

[davefalcone777]

Its actually "I'm on my way to hell" from Noro. Good review though!
he says both.

[myfirstpunksong]

love this album. didn't really like the intro to the review though. none of that stuff pisses me off, at all.

[gabrielM]

i like this album. but how can u honestly give the lyrics an 8.5? they are borderline horrible. jesse not writing is the worse thing that ever happened to this band. the lyrics are so bland and simple and sometimes even corny.

"the champ is down like a clown in the second round" wtf? that line made me want to cringe. Brand New is my favorite band of all time. but jesse giving up the writing portion of the creative process really changed them in my opinion. vinnie isn't half as good at jesse at expressing himself in creative ways. vinnie is a great guitarist but he shouldn't be writing.

[cacophonous]

That depends. Of course us message board dwellers have a right to let our Brand New love affect our opinions of the album. The problem I have (and I think the guy you quoted has as well) is that that seems to carry over to the staff as well. An album shouldn't be rated based on the context of what the band has done in the past or what we expected from them. The leap that BN has made since Your Favorite Weapon is amazing and they've put out two incredibly solid albums, but that doesn't make Daisy good.
It doesn't make it bad either. But I'm not trying to address opinions good or bad, that wasn't what I was saying in response to him.

My point is that his comment was making assumptions about people's tastes while simultaneously avoiding having to talk about the music in question. It's actually pretty insulting to anyone who happens to like it. It writes off people's opinions as something disingenuous. Even worse, saying, "this album only gets praise because it's by this band" doesn't have anything to do with the music, and it's an impossible point to prove.

I think criticisms like that (and "overrated," another one of my favorites) just undermine something that people happen to like without having to talk about why. It's too easy to say "that's overrated," that doesn't give enough credit to music that clearly has power over people--and I'm not just talking BN, I'm talking any band, I'm talking pop music, hip-hop, whatever, that people say these things about.

[asteria]

Best album of the year? Think so.

[ajaggedpulse]

great review. great album.

[re7ard1337]

And that will probably piss you off. But you wouldn’t want it any other way.

definitely true. good review, good album.

[kls0790]

This is probably one of the best written reviews that I've read in a long nice. Nice job =]

[alexa_ATL]

one of the best reviews i've read on this site.

completely agree with everything, and the review just made me want to listen to it again.

if there is one thing Brand New does so damn well it's pissing people off and making them love them simultaniously.

[RecklessXRandy]

Great review Drew.

[homerjay]

It doesn't make it bad either. But I'm not trying to address opinions good or bad, that wasn't what I was saying in response to him.

My point is that his comment was making assumptions about people's tastes while simultaneously avoiding having to talk about the music in question. It's actually pretty insulting to anyone who happens to like it. It writes off people's opinions as something disingenuous. Even worse, saying, "this album only gets praise because it's by this band" doesn't have anything to do with the music, and it's an impossible point to prove.

I think criticisms like that (and "overrated," another one of my favorites) just undermine something that people happen to like without having to talk about why. It's too easy to say "that's overrated," that doesn't give enough credit to music that clearly has power over people--and I'm not just talking BN, I'm talking any band, I'm talking pop music, hip-hop, whatever, that people say these things about.
Yeah, I get it. But whoever made that first post wasn't trying to comment on the music. His entire point was that the music is irrelevant--it's the band's name and reputation that earned the good rating. And I don't find that insulting, nor do I think he was trying to make a blanket statement about everyone here. I took it as a comment on certain reviewers that let their fandom get in the way of writing a decent, critical review.

We can talk about the music too, but how opinions on that any less subjective/easier to prove? I don't like Daisy and I have plenty of reasons to not like it, but I don't consider my opinion to be any more or less valid than someone who loved it.