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Brand New – The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me

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Brand New

Artist: Brand New
Album: The Devil & God are Raging Inside Me
Label: Interscope
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: November 21, 2006

Overall: 9.0
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.5

Originally leaked as a demo in January, the first track on Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s much-anticipated â┚¬Ã‹Å“The Devil & God are Raging Inside Meâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is called Sowing Season. Much like its demo counterpart, the song starts without a musical introduction, instead breaking into a barely-changed lyric. Missing, however, is the original second verse. Instead, it is replaced with a catchy â┚¬Ã‹Å“I am on the mend/At least now I can say that I am trying/Hope you will forget/The things that I still lackâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s at this point in the album that we can truly see the glory of re-writes. While the original lyric was not a weak one (it was, in fact, a favourite of mine), the re-write fits the song more in terms of theme, tone and overall colour.

After the opening track (also the lead-off single), we delve into â┚¬Ã‹Å“brand newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ (lame) territory. Millstone is a raw track with a reverberant chorus that laments about the past, and the present (â┚¬Ã‹Å“this ship of fools Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m on will sinkâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢), and appropriately uses the analogy of a millstone around oneâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s neck (in case youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re unaware, a millstone is defined as an exhaustive emotional or mental burden). Overall, it is a catchy track with understated instrumentation and emotive lyrics, which is typical of the band.

Track three is where it gets serious. â┚¬Ã‹Å“Jesusâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ takes the band in a new direction. Religion is obviously a recurring theme on the album, and this song brings that to the forefront. Neither political, preachy, nor critical, the song can only be described by saying â┚¬Ã‹Å“it is what it isâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. A humourously analytical verse about what happens after death is one of the best parts of this song (Jesus Christ, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not scared to die/Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m a little bit scared of what comes after/Do I get the gold chariot?/Do I float through the ceiling?). The obvious lack of a chorus in the song brings to light a solid fact about the band: they donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t need to conform to songwriting rules in order to write songs that are catchy, relatable and commercial enough to sell. Lyricist Jesse Lacey bares it all on this track, with nothing but a great result.

Degausser is one of the songs that everyone was curious about, having played it frequently on tour this summer under the title of â┚¬Ã‹Å“Take Apart Your Headâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Before the release of the album there were rumours circulating regarding this track. The final product is a mellow and subdued track in the verses, which explodes in the chorus with a choral round of â┚¬Ã‹Å“take apart your headâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Layering of vocals and muddy instrumentation give this track a unique feeling from the rest of the album.

Track 5 is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Limousineâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, an almost 8-minute song that starts off with a simple acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. After about two minutes, the song slowly graduates into a more defined piece, with repetitive lyrics (â┚¬Ã‹Å“I love you so much, but do me a favour baby, donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t replyâ┚¬Ã‚¦ cause I can dish it out, but I canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t take itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢), and building instrumentation. The anticipation builds for about three minutes before the track breaks into a softer denouement and some noise in the last 30 seconds. This song is demonstrative of the experimental edge that the band bares on this record.

Following â┚¬Ã‹Å“Limousineâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is â┚¬Ã‹Å“You Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Knowâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Aptly titled for its chorus, unlike most of Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s obscure song titles, the song has got a catchy melody and an overall busy tone. The lyrics take a back seat to the instrumentation in this song, which is not typical of the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s writing style. The conclusion of the song is my favourite part: â┚¬Ã‹Å“I canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t use the telephone/To tell you that Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m dead & gone/So you wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know/You wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t knowâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢.

A sort of intermission, â┚¬Ã‹Å“Welcome to Bangkokâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is an instrumental track featuring only sparse spoken vocals saying â┚¬Ã‹Å“Space cadet, pull outâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. In true Brand New fashion, it starts acoustically and builds into a noisy reverberant chant of distorted guitars, screams, and lots of hi-hat.

â┚¬Ã‹Å“Not the Sunâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is a more upbeat song that again focuses on vocals and lyrics. One of the more catchy songs on the album (I havenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t been able to get â┚¬Ã‹Å“Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t you be my baitâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ out of my head since acquiring the album), it brings us back to Deja Entendu in terms of lyrical style. A favourite lyric of mine is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Say youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re my friend, but why wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t you be my family?â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ Repetitive and fun, the bridge is probably my favorite part of the track. Slowing down the tempo, Lacey repeats â┚¬Ã‹Å“Settle baby, you are not the sunâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Overall, it is one of the best tracks on the album.The next track was also leaked as a demo in January. â┚¬Ã‹Å“Lucaâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, when released as a demo, featured a strong opening lyric (Well I lost my taste for the company of airports and cars/We flew through the year and/Avoided the dust and the rock). The opening lyric on this track, however, I feel pales in comparison (When I disappear, do you fear for the sister I took/ When I disappear, it is clear I am up to no good). Luckily, the majority of the rest of the song stays true to its demo counterpart. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s also one of the more structured songs on the album, which just proves their capabilities as writers. It also presents a recurring theme in their music. Like in â┚¬Ã‹Å“Play Crack the Skyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, there are many references to water, which I believe is an ode to their Long Island home.

Untitled (considering the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s history with titles, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m sure there was some thought that went into titling it â┚¬Ã‹Å“Untitledâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢) is basically another two minute instrumental with muffled vocals repeating â┚¬Ã‹Å“I can never love you, I can never reach youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢.

The second to last track is â┚¬Ã‹Å“The Archers Bows Have Brokenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢, which brings back Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s affinity for longer titles. Seemingly to have taken influence from The Smiths, the song is driving and one of the poppy-est on the album. To me, the overall tone of the song, specifically the chorus, seems to have been derived from the 9th demo that was leaked in January. I could be wrong, but when I listen to this song I hear a lot of similarities. Overall, it is probably one of my favorite tracks, and is in some ways reminiscent of Brand Newâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s first album.

The last track of the album is â┚¬Ã‹Å“Handcuffsâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢. Written by Vinnie Accardi, as opposed to usual lyricist Jesse Lacey, the song starts out a lot like â┚¬Ã‹Å“Play Crack the Skyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ with the count in and acoustic guitar. Due to its stripped down nature, and simple lyrics, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s a great way to close the album, as well, and the string arrangement is very complimentary to the tone.

Overall, the album speaks volumes for the direction in which the band is headed. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s a great compilation of some of their best work to date, and while it may dissuade some of the fans that prefer their poppier work, it seems truly artistic and original to me.

Tracklisting
1. Sowing Season (Yeah)
2. Millstone
3. Jesus Christ
4. Degausser
5. Limousine
6. You Won’t Know
7. Welcome to Bangkok
8. Not the Sun
9. Luca
10. Untitled
11. Archers
12. Handcuffs

Brand New in Mastering Stages; Announce Tour with Dashboard Confessional

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Brand New have posted the following two pieces of news on their website:

Street Teamers…we promise that the interview is coming. The guys spent last week mastering the album and taking part in the interview. There was some definite TLC with the questions and it’s hopefully what you’ve been waiting for. It will either be up at the end of this week or at the beginning of September (surreal that September is almost here? Yes!). Aside from the interview, news is coming soon about the release date, the album title, the Fall tour…everything that you may be wondering about. I’m listening to “Take Apart Your Head” (or whatever it will be called…I usually learn right around when you do) blaring through my speakers as i type this. It’s real. Everyone on our side seems to be taking a quick vacation because we all know what’s coming: The New Album.

Regarding the Dashboard tour:As you may have heard, BN is hitting the road with Dashboard Confessional this fall. A limited number of advance tickets have been held for you and will be available through a special presale that began today (Wednesday, August 23rd at 1 PM Local Time). By buying tickets through our presale, you’ll be able to get your tickets before anyone else AND save some money on service charges.

Click here to buy tickets.

OCT 13 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
OCT 17 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic Auditorium
OCT 18 – Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
OCT 20 – Las Vegas, NV @ UNLV Intramural Field
OCT 21 – San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena
OCT 23 – Orem, UT @ McKay Events Center
OCT 27 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena

More date will be announced shortly, so don’t worry if you don’t see your city listed yet!

Brand New – Fight Off Your Demons (The Demos)

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Brand NewԚ 

Artist: Brand New
Album: Fight Off Your Demons (Demos)
Label: N/A
Purchase: N/A
Release Date: N/A (Surfaced Jan. 06)

Overall: 9.3
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 9.5
Production: Because these are demos, I’ve chosen not to review the production value

FYI:

The ‘album’ I am reviewing is the collection of nine demos that Brand New leaked onto the internet in January, entitled ‘Fight Off Your Demons’. There is much speculation surrounding the demos, including which ones will be included on the new album. You can’t purchase these demos, but they are available for download all over the internet, so you can probably just google it.

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In some of his most lyrically poignant songs to date, lead singer Jesse Lacey seems to take on a few personas as we travel through the nine demos. I’m going to critique each song individually:

Untitled 1 – This is my very favourite demo so far. The opening lyric is absolutely beautiful (Well I wrote your name & burned it/To see the colour of the flame/Well it burned out the whole spectrum/As if you were everything/Mine just burned gold/A normal flame/I am not anything), and the rest of the lyrics don’t disappoint. The music is acoustic & understated, but very complimentary to the soft vocals. The overall tone is poignantly dismayed, and very fitting. The song comes across as very bittersweet, from start to finish when the song closes with “Something dies when you grow older/But you do the best you can/I am glad/I am glad…/You found a good man.”

Untitled 2 – This demo is probably the one that most surprised me. I am well aware of Lacey’s fondness of Morrissey & The Smiths (just listen to Mix Tape, and you’ll know for yourself), but at first listen, I was sort of confused. Was I listening to Brand New, or was I listening to Brand New covering The Smiths? Everything from the intricate lyrics (She was just seventeen/Pious & pretty with a deadly disease/And the weight of the world on her prosthetic shoulder), to the somewhat Morrissey-esque emulated British accent that Lacey sings with, to the anthemic chorus (And so three cheers for my morose & grieving pals/And now let’s hear it for the tears that I’ve welled up/We’ve come too far to have to give it all up now/We live lives that are rich & blessed/And we’ll burn for how we’ve transgressed) just reeks of The Smiths. It’s not neccessarily a bad thing – The Smiths are one of my favourite bands – but there comes a point when emulation becomes creepy. Luckily Brand New are just outside of the grey area on this track (which, consequently, will grow on you – I can’t stop listening).

Untitled 3 – This song starts off sounding a little more like Brand New, though the lyrics seem very forced for the first few lines (So the air’s getting colder/And the news keeps us scared/I still wrestle this summer from the bones of our tired, blistered hands), as though Lacey couldn’t think of anything to open the song, but then they ease into a smooth eloquent flow, yet again. The chorus of the song is catchy, but redundant. A few key lines in this track add great dimension to the lyrics, and it’s anti-war sentiment (‘I’ll be dead before you put a gun in my brother’s hand’).

Untitled 4 – Opens with a very 80s synth vibe, I had no idea what to expect from this track. It has a definite influence from The Smiths, but not overwhelmingly so like Untitled 2. Once the chorus kicks in, you want to sing along. It’s a very up-beat, and happy song, which is rare for Brand New, so it’s a very welcome change of pace. The lyrics are great (I’m happy to admit that maybe I am a little depressed/Cause I’m missing you to death), and Lacey’s vocals are appropriately understated. Just the use of the word posthumously is reminiscent of Morrissey’s style in some ways, and the Van Gogh anecdote is a great touch.

Untitled 5 – This demo starts off very interestingly with an almost celtic sound. As it progresses, it has a great development. The lyrics are seemingly unique and unlike anything else Brand New has done. My favourite part of this song is by far the chorus in which Lacey sings ‘Maybe we will tear you up/Take what you love/ And burn it down/Burn it down/What you swear to build/We swear to come/And burn it down/Burn it down’. Not only the lyrics, but the distinction of the vocal is moving.

Untitled 6 – The song begins with a simple acoustic guitar line, before a beautiful opening vocal comes in: ‘Well I lost my taste for the company of airports & cars/We flew through the year & avoided the dust & the rock’. It’s striking and fitting to the music. This song is again unlike any other that Brand New has released. The vocal layering in the chorus is striking, especially for a demo, and is seemingly very well composed. The music, overall, is haunting and will stick with you long after you finish listening to the song.

Untitled 7 – This song starts off with a very 80s pop sound. The piano is simple, yet striking. The lyrics are great: ‘Well take it easy/Tigers in the cage/Pacing on our pads, and waiting/For the time to come in reverie./Our lazy bones ache for our dowry./Canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t hold on to the thrill./So I hope you find your will to follow through./What weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve invented, I am now ending./Hold on to who you love./We are tryinâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ to blow like dust since we were young./ What weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve invented, I am now ending.’ Though the piano is very repetitive, it is not annoyingly poignant.Untitled 8 – This song revels in its simplicity and sad lyrics. The general lyrical message is hard to grasp, though. Several vignettes lend to a general lyrical theme, but fail to come together in a culmination. I can’t say the song is bad, though – I can’t say any Brand New song is bad as of yet.

Untitled 9 – The final demo track is one of my favourite. A lyric very appropriate to Jesse Lacey is ‘Please pose my skeletal remains./Give them a working pen/And I will live forever.’ Overall, the song is demure and understated but most definitely worth a listen.
Overall, these demos are beyond the realm of what I thought Brand New was capable of achieving on their third release. If the final recording (speculated to include only one or two of these demos) is anywhere near the creative level of these demos, it’s sure to be one of the best albums released in 2006 (or 2007 should delays continue). It’s a much anticipated album (due out on Interscope), and I can’t imagine it will disappoint.