Where in the world have Brand New been all my life? This is a band that I am proud to have in my cd collection and I only came across them by accident. So it has to be thanks to the Not Katies for recommending them to me and to Triple Crown Records for putting out (and sending me) this CD. Because it kick ass in a major way.
For those yet to be initiated with the genius known as Brand New, to put it crudely they sound like a cross between Midtown, The Movielife and Glassjaw. Yet at the same time they sound like Brand New because no matter how many bands you compare them to, they are still a wonderfully original hybrid of different styles. There’s pop, there’s punk, there’s emo and there is hardcore, all put in one big melting pot. And it comes out tasting rather yummy indeed.
‘Your Favourite Weapon‘ is at times a visceral blast of goodness filled with spite and hatred, yet at others is poignant, honest and, well, just plain great. ‘The Shower Scene‘ gets the record off to a rocking start with drums, guitars and vocals thrown around all over the shop. I guess melodic hardcore with a pop tangent would be one way of describing the undescribeable. ‘Jude Law And A Semester Abroad’ is more of the same, with melodies and harmonies eminating from a collosal sound of guitars and drums.
‘Sudden Death In Carolina’ shows how Brand New have taken a lot of time perusing Glassjaw lyrics, as they sing about throwing up fire. It paints a very visual picture, but it’s strange to say the least. ‘Mix Tape’ is completely fantastic. Slow and lo-fi to begin with, it builds up into this brilliantly spiteful song. “And when I say let’s keep in touch, I really mean I wish that you’d grow up,” they sing, and it’s pretty clear that someone’s been pissed off in the past. ‘Failure By Design‘ has a kind of geeky feel to it, probably because of the multi-layered vocals. But when the chorus kicks in, you’ve got a song and a half.
‘Last Chance To Lose Your Keys’ sounds like Midtown. A lot like a poor man’s Midtown anyway. But the chorus pulls out all the stops to make it a good song rather than the duffer that it was quickly becoming. And ditto ‘Logan To Government Center’ which isn’t that bad a song, but yells of being a little generic. It’s cool and all, but sounds just like Glassjaw crossed with The Movielife, without the band stamping their own ideals and identity on the track.
So it’s refreshing that ‘The No Seatbelt Song’ comes along to wipe the slate clean. It’s almost balladic, a story of love lost played out on an acoustic guitar. Don’t let visions of Dashboard Confessional cloud your mind though, because this song is genuine and filled with emotion without being too contrived. ‘Seventy Times 7’, on the other hand, is filled with anger and hate and, for want of a better phrase, is fucking amazing. In particular one line is absolutely brilliant. “So is that what you call a getaway, tell me what have you got away with cos I’ve seen more spine on a jellyfish and I’ve seen more guts on eleven year old kids, have another drink then drive yourself home, I hope there’s ice on all the roads, and you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt, and again when your head goes through the windshield.” Musically it’s slow, fast, complicated and simple all in one go. Genius.
‘Secondary’ is a hell of a lot more melodic and is more pop-punk than most of the other songs, without veering off into Blink 182 territory. ‘Magazines’ has a kind of surf feel to it, probably again because of the triple whammy vocal attack. It’s also full of self-pity and has yet another catchy singalong hook. Then we have closer ‘Soco Amaretto Lime’, another acoustic number which is again full of regret and looks back at love lost. The shouty backing vocals also work a treat through a track that is chock-full of emotion. And a special mention must go to the end of the track when it suddenly stops. Highly original and very clever.
Brand New are a cracking band with plenty going for them. If you liked the recent Finch cd, you’ll love this. Yet another inventive crossover CD that will surely be infesting a radio near you very, very soon.
Paul Savage