D is for Deja, Daisy, and Devil

 
It's the fourth day of the A-Z Blogging Challenge and I still feel good.  I'm on top of my posts and plugging right along.  So, without further ado, today's post is brought to you by the letter D.  Now I thought long and hard about this post and actually came up with three things that are, randomly, all related!  All three happen to be albums by my favorite band, Brand New.  Strangely, I had never notices that their last three albums all began with a D.  Hm. 

Deja Entendu

Deja Entendu is probably one of the most lyrically brilliant albums by Brand New.  Though it was their sophomore album, released in 2003, Deja didn't disappoint fans.  If anything, it drew in more.  Brand New had a previous "hit" with "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad", but their first release off of this album, "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows", actually garnered both radio and MTV rotations.  It's brilliant all around.  Seriously, if you start listening to this band at all, this is the album to start with.  It'll ease you in without shocking or scaring you off ;)

The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me

 Devil was released about three years after Deja, in 2006.  That's a loooooong wait for a fan.  But let me tell you, this album was well worth it.  Combining some of the original norm from the previous album with new, innovative sounds, Devil surprised fans...in a good way.  There are some truly beautiful tracks on this album, both musically and lyrically ("Jesus" and "Handcuffs" come to mind).  There are also a few harder hitting songs, though don't discount them ("Not the Sun").  I didn't think that Brand New would be able to release something that would even hold a candle to Deja, but they managed to do so.  Another brilliant effort.

Daisy

And then we have Daisy.  Released in 2009, I was incredibly excited to get my hands on the new album.  I had waited yet another three years for Brand New to put something out and they finally did.  I'll be honest, Daisy is not my favorite BN album.  While I do like it...now...it took me a long time to enjoy it for what it is.  It's a very discordant album with unexpected twists and turns.  There is an eerie feeling that pervades the entire thing which makes it very uncomfortable to listen to at first.  Once you get past that, it's actually quite genius.  I would not recommend starting with this album if you are not familiar with Brand New.

Stylistically, there is a natural progression between each album.  One seems to, quite organically, lead to the other.  Each has high points and truly reflect the dynamics of the band at the time it was recorded.  Jesse Lacey, lead singer, said that Daisy would be the band's final album.  This devastated me, naturally.  But, on a super high note, he just completed an interview stating that they were back in the studio.  Say what!  YES!!

Here's a little tidbit for your listening pleasure.  Enjoy.

Stay strong and blog on!