::BRAND NEW::

The first time I heard Long Island-based quartet Brand New, I had no idea that this band would turn into one of my all-time favorite bands. The first song I had heard (and I suspect this is probably true for about 60% of their fans, at least on the West Coast) was "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows", a great first single for the 2003 album Deja Entendu. It did its job...it got me hooked. After hearing that song, I went out and purchased the album. I fell in love. Deja Entendu (which, in French, means "already heard") is currently on my list of top 10 favorite albums...ever, and I don't forsee that changing in the near future. Every song on the album has its own message, and after searching out possible meanings for what track titles such as "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" or "Guernica" could mean, I have come to find myself wrapped in these songs even more than at first. It would be impossible for me to choose a favorite song from this album, so, in order to save time and a slur of words, I will just say this: if you don't have this album, get it. Now.

After falling in love with Brand New and everything they had released up to Deja Entendu (including the debut, 2001's Your Favorite Weapon, an upbeat record discussing the highs and lows of teenage relationships), I did what any (and every) fan of a band does: I wondered (and feared) what was next. I wasn't sure that Brand New could top their 2003 release. In 2005, the band announced that they were going into the studio to record a new album. It took nearly 2 years to release the album (finally hitting stores on November 21, 2006), and was titled The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. Needless to say, I was excited. As soon as I could get my hands on the release, I did. I was not disappointed. On first listen, I thought, "Okay, this is a good album....but now what?" To me, the album seemed to lack the cohesive aspect that made me fall in love with Deja Entendu. I gave the album listens, but my favorite Brand New tracks still remained on their sophomore release. After some time (and almost forgetting about the album), I decided to give it another shot. I devoted on evening to listening through the album in its entirety. As cliché as it sounds, my eyes were opened. I found what I had been searching for in this release. With Deja Entendu still holding that nostalgic superiority over The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, it's impossible for me to say that their most recent release is my favorite, but the album is still a great album that I hold in high esteem. Brand New has had a significant impact on both myself and my musical taste, and I recommend this band to anyone looking for a change of pace, musically...or just some good, quality listening.