THE SKINNY: Though Daisy lacks the innovation and musical dynamics of past releases, its deeper exploration of elements present in The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me make it a worthwhile listen.WEBSITE: http://fightoffyourdemons.com/
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/brandnew
Brand New is a band known for its tremendous growth. The progression and maturity that accompany each new album far surpass what many bands could hope for in their entire careers. I think part of this success stems from the length of time that the band allots before releasing something new. They have time to grow together as a band, experiment with new sounds and ideas, as well as give thought to the direction they want to head in. After The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me forged a new path for the band that was so widely received and respected, most fans anxiously waited to see where the next album would venture.
For me, however, Daisy does not depart from the spirit of Devil and God all that much. While the familiar hints of Brand New remain -- the driving melodies, the incorporation of distorted, dissonant noises and recordings (in this album, they are primarily snippets of old church hymnal songs), and lyrics woven with irony and religious overtones -- there is still something that feels off. Maybe it's the abrupt parts of the opening song "Vices" where Lacey's voice seems more like a painful shrill, or maybe it's that none of the songs sound as polished or manifold as past tracks like "Limousine." Although it has taken me more than several listens to realize, it seems that the unsettling, disjointed vibe could in fact be what the band intended.
Notions of cynicism and jadedness appear repeatedly with religious imagery of irredeemable betrayal, judgment and loss of faith. The continuity of such themes suggests that the questions of faith and redemption loosely posed in The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me were reflective of a much deeper struggle. The final track, "Noro," concludes with the following: How am I ever going to know peace? // How will I ever see the light through the trees? // I want to burn down everything we've begun, I want to kill and eat my young. // Because I'm on my way to Hell. // Well I've tried. God knows that I've tried. These lyrics conveniently embody the album's overarching desire for closure and a disassociation from the past.
Where there was once growth, there is now a sense of stagnation and disillusionment. Though Daisy possesses many profound and thought-provoking moments, it's hard to step away from the album without feeling like it's the band's goodbye, or at least their resignation from the music scene for a good while. Given the complexity and variety of music Brand New has offered fans and listeners over the past years, I can only hope that this is not the case.
"Sink" off of Daisy:
"At The Bottom off of Daisy:
FAVORITE TRACK: "Sink, At The Bottom"
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