[VINYL] Brand New – Daisy

It’s somewhat in part of this records release that my blog has enjoyed some success (albeit a small amount) as my 2009 review was picked up by several review aggregator sites in their End-of-Year-Best-of-Cool-Cat™ lists. Several months on from Daisy’s release and after seeing Brand New again live at the monumentally sized Wembley Arena where they proved themselves as protegé to Mogwai, this record continues to grow on me.

What to say about Daisy? Months down the line, it’s still a difficult listen and in places it sounds very awkward but very necessary to the experience. Sometimes it sounds so odd that it even writing about is made difficult as it’s hard to collect your thoughts. If you can shake off the memory of “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” from their debut record Your Favorite Weapon it’s clear that Brand New aren’t just your average pop-punk act. In fact it’s hard to even categorise what they are now;  perhaps they’re ‘post-rock’ maybe or even ‘post-hardcore’, but more importantly they sound like the band they have always strived to be.

From the release of Daisy, Brand New stated that this was an album that was meant to be played live and as such the production matches it. It’s like the band could be playing in your front room and I although I often say this, a good set of headphones will do you wonders.

Lyrically, the album is dark and challenging and musically it matches, there’s passages of brooding tension and then the build ups where the bands passion bubbles and spills out. First (and only?) single from the album ‘At the Bottom’ is a fine example of what Brand New were aiming to achieve as vocalist Jesse Lacey sings ‘Some men die under the mountain just looking for gold, some die looking for a hand to hold’ with an almost anthemic air of disappointment; the same sort of cynicism employed by Brand New since their inception, but finally something to take seriously.

I actually purchased this record just because I’m a big fan of the album and for once there’s nothing actually too special about it. This is the first pressing of the record and as such it comes with a limited edition piece of art in tucked away inside of the gatefold. I wasn’t too impressed with the art work when I first saw it, but it looks fantastically minimal when blown up to 12″.

Label – Interscope, DGC, Procrastinate! Music Traitors

Release Date – September 22nd 2009

Track List

A1) Vices
A2) Bed
A3) At the Bottom
A4) Gasoline
A5) You Stole

B1) Be Gone
B2) Sink
B3) Bought A Bride
B4) Daisy
B5) In A Jar
B6) Noro

Advertisement