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Review Summary: Regardless of what anyone will tell you, this album is an undisputed masterpiece. It's a perfect microcosm of the teenage mind. You want to know why I was so hard on The Devil and God and Daisy? Because they had to live up to this album. The poor things, they never stood a chance, really. This album took the pop-punk success of Your Favorite Weapon, mixed in a little Tell All Your Friends, and had sex with Through Being Cool to create something completely awesome: a dark soundscape, cataloging the dark thoughts of Jesse Lacey. From the opening of Tautou, you can feel Jesse's pain reach out and grab you. Sic Transit Gloria comes in after the haunting opening and shreds your ears out with Jesse's screams. THIS is how you write a good song about sex. It's direct, straightforward, but also a little bit cryptic. It keeps with the themes of saying what you want to say but not what people want to hear, a theme that continues throughout the duration of the entire album.
Vocally, Jesse Lacey has never sung better. He's screamed better, but never is he more focused and in tune than on here. The trading off he does with himself in The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows is brilliant, layering each trade off with a beautiful counter harmony to go along with his main vocal. And that guitar line. Oh the guitar in this album is perfect, from the muting chunks of Sic Transit Gloria to the pretty intro of the heretofore previously mentioned Quiet Things, to the sweet riff of Guernica. It all works like a charm. This is also the album where the drums feel the most realistic and actually attempt to make some cool beats, see also Guernica. Lyrically this is Jesse's best outing and there are some gems here, "Call me a safe bet, I'm betting I'm not", "My tongue's the only muscle on my body that's harder than my heart", and "Wasting words with lower cases and capitals" are all lyrical winners that the preceding albums would simply lack.
Although this album is filled with hidden gems, it DOES have one big negative to it: the production, and a little ending called Play Crack the Sky. The production is muddy and dirty and it doesn't fit the super poppy sheen of the songs and as for Play Crack the Sky, it's just a boring song. At least Handcuffs has some stuff going on, but this is just a typical acoustic song that you could find on absolutely any album, and it's one of my least favorite Brand New songs because of it. I also don't like how they left in Jesse getting up and walking away from the guitar, it really just drags the end of the album out. Despite that, the album is perfect, and really deserves a listen from any fan of pop punk or post-hardcore, as well as any fan who thinks Brand New's two newer albums are the end all be all of good Brand New.
other reviews of this album |
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Album Rating: 5.0
worked really hard on this one guys
lemme know what you think
| | | Except for the first sentence or two, this is a pretty nice review. Another thing, usually if an album has a "big negative" it shouldn't be a five.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
thanks mac!
yeah i know but i still feel like its a classic
| | | Definitely an improvement. Keep it up man.
| | | Yup. Sounds pretty interesting, I have listened to The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me but I should really give this a listen. Something tells me I might like it more.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
thanks pizza!
| | | Now this is a wonderful review in comparison to the Hot Fuss one. Pos'd, although you've pissed off the majority of the others who have posted reviews today by knocking theirs off the front page. Try not to do that.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
thanks sonic
ok will do
:D
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
it does remind me a little of a bad black metal prodcution actually haha
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
nice review man, have a pos. this album is insanely catchy
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
thanks pat!
im glad everyone is liking this one
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Much, much better than your other two Brand New reviews man, good job.
Though I really have no idea how anyone could dislike The Devil and God. The first three songs on that album are far and away the best shit Jesse has ever written.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
thanks fearbefore!
| | | well thank god i didn't write that review today, no one would have saw it.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
lol sorry tyrannic
| | | "Regardless of what anyone will tell you, this album is an undisputed masterpiece."
Isn't that an oxymoron? It seems like the statement disproves itself. It basically translates to "This idea is undisputed even though some people dispute it" which makes no sense.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
"Isn't that an oxymoron? It seems like the statement disproves itself. It basically translates to "This idea is undisputed even though some people dispute it" which makes no sense."
i guess your right bandersnatch good catch! i'll certainly take your enlightningment into consideration when i make my newer reviews
"one big negative doesnt work to a 5"
"yeah i know but i still feel like its a classic"
| | | Great stuff have a pos, you're getting better with each review dude
What's next?
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
more brand new, just finished :]
tomorrow maybe i'll take a stab at neutral milk hotel
| | | Sweet reading now keep up the good work
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