By: Alaina Gizzo
Posted In: Entertainment
Photo credit: myspace.com/brandnew
Brand New’s latest album, “Daisy”
Brand New’s latest release, “Daisy,” opens with some traditional piano, sweetly accompanied by a classic female voice singing along to the lyrics, “knowing when our last does fail, our compassion shall be met” in the opening track, “Vices.” Almost a minute and thirty seconds later, it’s interrupted by a wild guitar riff as lead singer, Jesse Lacey, begins to shout powerful, emotion-driven lyrics.
Released on Sept. 22, 2009, “Daisy” is significantly better than the band’s first album, “Your Favorite Weapon.” The debut album clearly displayed a watered-down version of mainstream pop-punk that was popular in 2001. Now on their fourth album, Brand New is able to channel the true, raw emotion of their work. Falling into the vast genre of alternative, Brand New can experiment with the music they’ve always wanted to play without the worry of becoming distinguished, now that they established themselves. As usual, some listeners may dislike how similar the songs sound. Brand New’s style consists of creating songs of analogous sound that all equally explore the human condition. Perhaps the most interesting song of the album, “At the Bottom,” will be a fan favorite. Similar to songs from the band’s third album, “The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me,” this song simultaneously takes on a folk-like identity that blends with emotional alternative rock. Overall, the album is a great trial run of raw sentiment at its finest. The arrangement of the song lineup reflects a rollercoaster of emotion well-known to victims of human nature. “Daisy” exists as live proof that the Long Island native band managed to grow into comfort with their music while launching the band’s individuality.
