Albums Of The Decade: Brand New – Deja Entendu (2003)
Being that the decade is almost drawing to a close, I’m refusing to write a top albums of the decade list simply due to the fact that I was just 12 years old once we started the new millennium. Safe to say my musical tastes have varied over the decade.
I liked very few albums in my high school years and I can probably safely name 3 I listened to endlessly: Arcade Fire’s Funeral, The Still’s Love Will Break Your Heart and Brand New’s Deja Entendu.
Brand New’s record is very interesting, in the sense that I don’t call myself a Brand New fan nor did I listen to much of their records but Deja Entendu was just a very memorable record for me.
With references to one of my favourite books ever (I hardly read but it had me crying at the end), The Moves That Make A Man on the third track, I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin and references to Audrey Tautou, Home Alone and the Beatles, songwriter and singer Jesse Lacey makes himself a likable guy even with his near cocky bravado within his song writing.
As much as there are a few hits on the album, the best part of the album is Lacey’s unique songwriting. He’s able to lure you in while he compares himself to Elvis or Diego Maradona while showing off a fragile, desperate personality. It’s as much as Lacey’s show and the band facilitating his song writing. It’s deep and quite dense – not entirely “emo” or at all to me really. It’s just great song (with big emphasis on great) writing from top to bottom and it’s easily one of my favourite records of the decade. Complex songwriting with simplistic music can do wonders and the band never seems like it’s trying to hard but rather this album feels like it comes off – naturally. It may seem a little out of left field with my tastes but alas it’s well deserving.
I could go on forever on the merits of this album and it’s true that they now have a huge following and are on a major label. I’ll go out on a limb it’s likely due to this album.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Listening to this album, it doesn’t feel like it’s been 6 years since the album was released. Alas to me it’s stood the test of time and well deserving of a perfect score.
Daisy’s the band’s fourth studio album is out today on September 22. I’m not sure if I’ll listen to it but in any case the greatness that was Brand New was found early in this decade and I can’t blame anyone for being a fan as much as they are labelled “emo”. At the very least check out Deja Entendu.
I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light by Brand New
Jaws Theme Swimming by Brand New
