Brand New Band • Page 691

Gasoline
Vices
Bed

First matchup was easy. In A Jar is one of
my least played BN tracks, just have never been able to get into it.

Daisy is a good song but I don't think it stands up at all to Vices and how powerful that opening is. Daisy was the first BN album I actually went to the store and bought. I remember popping it in and hearing that recording, wondering what the hell I was listening to and then BAM. One of my favorite moments in music.

Yeah so I'm definitely in the minority here but I love Bed. I like the laid back vibe and the guitars, the lick Vinny plays at the end is awesome. It took me a long time to get into it though. Coming right after the explosive opening of Vices was a weird sequencing choice but i've grown to appreciate its position in the tracklisting

 

I love in a jar but sink is such a staple

 

You mean Gasoline?

 

Both haha

 

Fuck...Sink vs. Bought a Bride and At the Bottom vs. Noro are gonna be rough

 

Current Totals:

Gasoline - 21
In A Jar - 3

Daisy - 10
Vices - 14

Sink - 22
Bed - 2

Lunchtime!!!

 

Gasoline
Vices
Bed

 

Gasoline - This song has a tension that continuously builds and releases throughout. I enjoy In a Jar, but this is one of my favorites on the album.

Vices - This one was harder than I thought it would be at first glance. There's something almost hypnotizing about the 2nd half of Daisy. Always kind of sounded mechanical to me, between the drums, chugging guitars and choppy melody. Makes me picture a factory assembly line haha. That being said, Vices is such an explosive introduction to the album, and is almost iconic in how it shocks the listener the first time they hear it. That gives it the edge for me.

Sink - I actually like Bed, which doesn't seem to be a popular opinion here. I think the repetition in the chorus makes it an earworm, and it's a well-placed break between the higher-energy Vices and At the Bottom/Gasoline to let the listener ease into the album a bit. But Sink is probably my favorite song on this album. The bursts of screaming in the verses and the raucous (but also really catchy) chorus are pure catharsis. So good.

In conclusion, I really like the heavy tracks on this album.

 

It's gonna be either Vices or Daisy vs. Noro. At The Bottom will be against You Stole.

 

Anybody else here a big fan of Chobani Flips?

 

I'm probably the minority here but At The Bottom and You Stole are two of my favorites off of Daisy. That'll be a tough one

 

Absolutely. I'm far too entertained as an adult flipping it too

 

This is going to be the hardest for me bc right now this is the Brand New album connecting with me the most.

Gasoline- Definitely hard to pick, but I think ultimately Gasoline is the more essential track of the two. I love Jesse's maniacal delivery throughout; how the band builds tension through the song with muted chords and that simple, but unmistakeable drum beat, and how it all releases and opens up at the perfect moments. Also, a really small moment, but the delivery of "you think that no one else is lonesome? You think that you're the only one?" is sooooo good. Lastly, the noisy outro that closes out the song is super unsettling and effective in contributing to the overall mood of the record.

Vices- This was probably the easiest of the matchups this round for me. Though I do really love Daisy, Vices is just an incredible song, and the perfect opener for this record. The band is really just firing on all cylinders here:

– The bass groove is simple yet totally memorable and provides the foundation for the song
– The drums are absolutely vicious and creative without being flashy (for example, that moment after the noisy solo Vin does, with the stuttering kick pattern)
– Vin does some really impressive stuff here, the leads in the verses are dissonant and almost sound "off," but still somehow are super catchy, and that solo is one of the most memorable moments in any Brand New song for me... it's probably completely impossible to reproduce that exact part and yet it's somehow (almost) hummable to me? Idk it's wild.
– Lastly, Jesse's vocals are goosebump-inducing, almost terrifying in their intensity. On an album full of memorable vocal performances, this is one of the best.

I still remember how that intro made me jump on first listen, and the shock of hearing this band sounding so completely unhinged. There were obviously moments of heaviness on TDAG, indications that the band had this side to them, but it somehow still elicited the "c'mon, this leak is obviously fake, this can't really be Brand New" response from a lot of people. There's a feeling of defiance to this whole record that I absolutely adore, and I kind of feed off of it; I tend to love when bands put out polarizing records, and I can't think of a better example of a band saying "fuck it" and defiantly doing what they want to do than this record.

Sink- For me, this was easily the hardest matchup of the round and honestly, depending on the day, I could probably be swayed in either direction. I think Bed is possibly the band's most underrated and unfairly maligned song, Handcuffs is probably the only other song I can think of that comes close. Then again, I probably care less about lyrics than most listeners do and clunky lines don't tend to bother me unless they're, like, atrocious, which I wouldn't categorize any of the lines commonly picked out from this album as, personally. Musically, Bed is seriously sooo good, the guitar work and tones achieved on it, especially, are perfect for the mood of the song; it all almost sounds like a dream. That said, I think I'm giving the edge to Sink here as it has one of the most impressive uses of the band's quiet/loud formula simply because of how quickly and seamlessly they bounce back and forth between the two. Also, the bridge is absolutely incredible and easily the highlight of the song for me. As simple as it may sound, the way Vin interjects those almost jazzy guitar chords on the upbeat really makes an impression on me, it's one of my favorite things he does on the whole album. Also, just the whole groove established there and how beautifully it opens up when they get heavy again is truly masterful.

Wow... That write-up really ended up being a lot longer than I'd anticipated, but I'm seriously so into this album lately. It's a shame how many people insist that it's their worst, because they display so much of their best musicianship here. It's also one of the best "fall" albums I can think of, and my excitement for the season probably has a lot to do with why it's doing so much for me atm.

 

Don't doubt your savior! He needs 3 days!

 

Ah fuck you're right, that's what I meant to say. Still, that will be a rough match.

 

Current Totals:

Gasoline - 25
In A Jar - 3

Daisy - 11
Vices - 17

Sink - 25
Bed - 3

 

Gasoline
Vices
Sink

Sink is my favorite song on Daisy with Bought a Bride in a close second place

 

Looks like I could be 1/3 this round. I'm genuinely surprised that my BN opinions stray so far from the pack at times.

 

I'm right there with you!

 

What do people like about Gasoline so much? I like it, but don't find it very engaging lyrically overall. Or is it general liking of the song vs a song you may like less?

I'm not gonna die on a In A Jar hill, so I'm
Not interested in defending it vs Gasoline. I just didn't think the song was that beloved.

 

And here's the other In A Jar voter!

I didn't know that Gasoline was so beloved either. I guess you learn something new every day...

 

For me, I love the lyrics and the delivery, but the bass-line in the 2nd pre-chorus hooks me every time along with the "You think that no one else is lonesome..." line. I liked the song from the get-go, but i've only just recently come around to liking "In a Jar".

 

In a Jar has always given me this mewithoutYou vibe that I just love.

 

I do like the bass line, too. Lots of great bass on this album. Garret stepped up. But yet he is still replaceable.