Brand New - "Untitled 02" (2006)

Brand New are an amazing band from Long Island, NY who came up in the same scene as Taking Back Sunday, Glassjaw and a ton of other bands you’ve probably heard of. The thing that makes Brand New different is how they have changed their sound to something that is distinctly them and no one else. Their debut album Your Favorite Weapon was a great pop punk record, but not unlike several other releases that came out at the same time. They stepped up their game on 2003’s Deja Entendu which truthfully sounded like a different band. Last November they released one the most outstanding albums of 2006 with The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. As the title would indicate, there is a lot of spiritual struggle going on on the record. Lead singer/songwriter Jesse Lacey delivers some his most honest and heartfelt lyrics to date on songs like “Millstone” and the album’s standout track “Jesus.” Musically the band progressed even further beyond what they had done in the past. The album only slightly resembles Deja Entendu and it’s hard to believe this is even the same four guys that recorded Your Favorite Weapon. Three years was a long time between Brand New’s second and third albums. In that time they signed to a major label, which was then bought out by another major label. Then in early 2006 nine untitled demos leaked onto the internet. I usually hate it when that happens because I know that bands work hard to write great songs and they don’t want people to hear them in an unfinished state. I looked around on the net and everything I read about the demos said that they probably wouldn’t be on the new album and since it had been almost three whole years since I heard new Brand New, I checked them out. What I found were nine amazing songs that by themselves were better than 90 percent of other albums released last year. Sure, the songs aren’t mastered so the sound quality isn’t up to par but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re all great songs. In fact two of the tracks did make the new record but in drastically different forms. “Untitled 08” became “Sowing Season” and changed from a lightly strummed acoustic tune to a song with some of the most explosive guitars on the album. “Untitled 06” became “Luca” and added to it was probably the heaviest guitar breakdown on the whole record. “Luca (Reprisal Version)” which is a bonus track on the UK release, is actually just a mastered version of “Untitled 06.” Earlier this year “Untitled 03” saw release as “Brothers,” a b-side to the “Jesus” single. The version released on the single was just a mastered version of the original demo. Today’s song is probably my favorite of the demos. I think Lacey sounds more like Morrissey on this song than ever before and the guitars have a very cool 80s feel. There are rumors that the remaining demos will be released as an EP sometime in the near future and while that would be cool, it may make the songs lose a little of their mystique. You can still find all nine demos floating around the internet and I encourage you to check them out, but also pick up The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, and you’ll get to enjoy one of the most innovative bands out today.

Brand New - "Untitled 02"