A band known for reinventing themselves after every unfavored hiatus has definitely done just that … again. With its fourth studio album Daisy, they are undeniably, “Brand New.”
“People seem to be reacting to it kind of in polar states,” vocalist Jesse Lacey said in an interview with Drowned in Sound after the new album in its entirety was leaked on the band’s Myspace page.
The band has acknowledged that Daisy has not received entirely positive feedback, and they are surprisingly very pleased. A record that was merely “mediocre” and “lukewarm” would not have been as fulfilling as one that solicits extreme responses, said Lacey.
The alternative rock sensation that met its origins in a Merrick, NY basement in 2000, has gained a rather large following greatly due to their disinterest in creating one particular sound. If listened to in one sitting, the band’s four albums could have a listener engulfed in acoustics, then shaken by a catchy riff and soul-dissecting lyricism.
With the uninhibited pressure of living up to their acclaimed 2006 album, “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me,” “Brand New” has shown fans that the days of songs like “Soco Amaretto Lime” turning into everyone’s high school anthem are dead. The band has grown, and fans are either bailing out or staying along for the ride.
The first sound projected from the often mismatched but free-flowing tracks of Daisy is not the voice of Lacey, or any other band member for that matter. It is the eerie voice of a woman singing “On Life’s Highway,” an old-timey gospel ballad that leaves first-time listeners pleasantly puzzled. That is until the track is cut by the raucous, screaming proclamation, “We need vices,” by Lacey himself. These three words unleash the raw and unabashed sound that the band claims is a digression to the musical influences it had as teens.
The album concludes with the beautifully written, “Noro,” where the gospel ballad from the entrance is reintroduced. Lacey bellows, “I’m on my way out,” which to some skeptic fans may be a subtle reference to rumors of the band’s retirement.
Other tracks worthy of particular mention include the album’s first single, “At the Bottom,” and the brilliantly interesting “Be Gone.” This track first summons the uncontrollable toe tap, and then leads you to check if your CD is actually skipping. That is if you actually purchased the CD, but with the album advertised for $6.99 at shockhound.com by the boys themselves, I may be the only one who splurged for the album art and a free patch and sticker.
This album has proved it is not for the flighty Brand New fans, reminiscent of the days of their power-punk era. Though for those looking for an undeniably fresh take on the alternative genre, Daisy’s unique, gritty honesty is definitely deserving of a listen. Though don’t get too attached, I give them three years before we’re praising another curveball that is “Brand New.”
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