Brand New Band • Page 121

They're so bad. Shone bad.

 

That is a haymaker of an insult. Lol
Do you dislike the content of the lyrics or the theme of what he is communicating with them?

 

It sounds like a different band wrote them. Flat out doesn't fit on the album with weak metaphors, lack of purpose and focus, and garbage rhymes. It's so obviously tacked on and so much worse than everything that came before.

 

I think they are definitely more on the nose.
Seemed to remind me more of Deja than wahh preceded it on TDAG.

Guess im gonna have to listen tmrw and see if it is as disjointed as you think.

Out of curioisity, is that a common criticism of the album?

 

My guess is yes. I would posit if I said "worst song on your favorite album" that is number one by far ... Interesting question all in all, but given the rest of that album, true catastrophe they ended with that song.

 

Couldn't agree more! I love that album but always end it before that song. I loved it when the album came out and my teenage brain thought it was "deep". Then I got older and realized it's just super poorly written. Didn't Vin write Handcuffs?

 

Yeah well. I love it haha. Live it's gorgeous and slightly varied at the end. I think it's a brilliant closer personally. It's like you expect this chaotic finisher and it slowly builds then settles, which makes me want to listen to the album over.
If the album ended on Archers I doubt it'd be my favourite album. I used to LOATHE Archers with a searing passion. Archers is my Nightmare now - catchy, but far from my favourite. Saying all this, as I'm from the UK, the CD I got of it always ended with the reprisal version of Luca anyway.

 

What was everyone's reaction to Jesus Christ when it was released? Or just initially TDAG in general upon release? I'm curious to know since I'm a relatively new BN fan.

 

Jesus Christ was the easiest song on TDAG for me to get into at that time. The rest was quite the departure from Deja, so I actually took a while to get into the album as a whole. Repeat listens were incredibly rewarding.

 

This is the first time I've heard anyone slate Handcuffs haha. Didn't know it was hated. Sonically I think it's a great closer.

 

Man, the tour starts so soon...waiting to see that setlist is killing me. Hoping there's gonna be something new, other than Nightmare. Unlikely maybe but hey, I'm optimistic. And naive.

 

You Won't Know could be a perfect closer imo

 

I have an extremely raw, visceral connection to Handcuffs for reasons I'd rather not divulge. So, although I understand the criticisms lobbied against it, it will always be one of my favorite songs on the album.


I also think "it's hard to be the better man when you forget you're trying" is a great line

 

Yeah I love that line. Especially at the end of this video of them playing it. Does anybody know what Jesse is singing between lines here?

I've always heard it as 'you could be way off' or something among those lines. Really not sure, and the lyrics book doesn't help. Either way, love that ending live. Seems so pained.

(Linked it at the correct time)

 

I think Handcuffs is such a beautiful song melodically that it's hard for me to really care if the lyrics aren't exceptionally written.

 

It's not my favourite but I still think it's great.

 

The distaste for Handcuffs has existed since the album was released. I didn't care for it for a long time because of some cringe-worthy lines, but it has grown on me. As mentioned above, the following lines are particularly poignant:

"It's hard to be the better man, when you forget you're trying, it's hard to be the better man, when you're still lying"

It falls flat live, which is (probably) why they only played it for a couple years following the release. I wasn't particularly impressed with it the two times I saw it, but I still enjoy the song on the record.

As for Jesus, a number of fans found that to be the strongest song on the record in the beginning and set to blow the band up. I know some people find it weak now, but I still consider it to be one of their best songs. It was unlike anything else in their (official) catalog at the time. If you want to criticize something, look no further than the video for Jesus. Little red riding hooded Jesse. They were smart to not release it.

 

Strong agree. I really think that is probably the one that sticks out to me. And when I saw you tweet that out I had a feeling you were discussing this album in particular cause I've always felt that song didn't fit on Devil and God at all, and certainly not as the closer. That's why I always felt that alternate tracklisting ending in You Won't Know had more merit.

 

I've always loved the sound of that song but the lyrics are so bad compared to the rest of the album, it almost seems obvious that they were written by Vin instead of Jesse--and I don't even know if that's true. But they just sound like the lyrics of a completely different person compared to the rest of the album

 

Definitely written by Vin.

 

I'd kill to hear it live. I love that I got to hear Brothers live in Birmingham last year (UK). Another one of those songs I needed to hear live.

 

@RyanRyan I hope you get to hear it live someday. I think in the right setting it might work (i.e., quiet, respectful crowd), but the two shows I saw it at lacked that. It's better with an actual violinist, too, versus a strings sample. For me, it gets lumped in with Bed, Daisy, Fork & Knife, and Missing You as songs that aren't as impactful in a live setting.

 

I felt the same hearing it in Glasgow, it just felt really special to me in that setting at an intimate, 400 cap show. Nothing quite like it.

I always seem to remember reading comments to reviews (not a good indication of feelings towards an album, I know, but still) that were just slating Degausser on TDAG. This is honestly just unthinkable to me, everything about that song is kinda perfect in my mind. Gun to my head I'd say it's my favourite Brand New song.

 

I went back and looked at the setlists of all the shows I've seen 'em play. I kinda forgot how many good shows I've seen.

Edit: I totally forgot I saw them play all of Deja minus Quiet Things and most of TDAG in 2007. dang

 

I wish I could remember all the times I've seen them play. Memory be fucked.