Album Review: Daisy

Daisy exhibits Brand New as a group of artists rather than a group of entertainers. The band’s first album was full of poppy singles that were very catchy but had little meaning. Daisy displays the band’s progression and growth into artists struggling to express their inspirations.

 

“Vices,” the first track of the album, features a recorded excerpt of a gospel hymn by Bertrand Brown called “On Life’s Highway.” “Vices” starts with this calm hymn but unexpectedly crashes into its main theme after about a minute and a half. The hymn is finished at the very end of the album, creating a bookend effect. This provides the end of the album with much needed resolution.

 

The abrasive loss of control in “Vices” is contrasted in the second track. “Bed” provides a soft and flowing relief to the madness and offers guitar solos reminiscent of previous Brand New releases. The familiar solos in “Bed” show that it is still the same band that has created this record, but with a new creative spin. “At the Bottom” also starts off calmly but builds up into the clobbering beginning of track four- “Gasoline.” “Gasoline” couples a powerful bass and drum with shrieking vocals and high energy. “So you tried to put the fire out, but you used gasoline…” “I think it drowned in holy water. I think it's time we all come clean.” Themes of fire and religion are common in Brand New lyrics across the band’s various releases.

 

“Daisy,” track nine, opens up with a spoken introduction. The beginning is slow and the lyrics come in right away. Light, melodic guitar lines provide backup and display lead singer Jesse Lacey’s voice and singing ability. Tension builds as the guitar becomes heavier and drums join the mix. The instrumentals begin to overpower the singing, but in a way that successfully allows for a woven patchwork of lyrics and guitar. 

 

The song unwinds into a quick transition to track ten, “In a Jar.” The beginning of the track features a driving bass line that contrasts the ending of Daisy’s soft tone. Early in the track, the band works in brilliant transition from soft to heavy sound. This is the best track of the album because it demonstrates the band’s many different techniques and diverse talents in one song.  It shows contrasting themes of contemplation and anger, great execution of transitions, clever guitar and bass-line duos and a good mix of calm versus harsh vocals.

 

“In a Jar” slips into “Noro” without a pause. “Noro” presents a catchy staccato guitar line that is soft and pretty, yet ominous. A writhing guitar solo at the end of the track leads into the repetition of “On Life’s Highway” from “Vices,” which brings the album to an end.

 

Many listeners, even Brand New lovers, will hate this album and write it off immediately. I almost did, after breaking through its tough shell, Daisy offers great music. The album’s abrasive core can be overwhelming and difficult to handle if the songs are listened to individually. Be sure to have enough time to hear the entire album in one sitting, as this is how the band intended for it to be heard. When listened to in its entirety, the harsher songs are offset by calm ballads featuring attractive guitar lines and tranquil lyrics. For a listener who is looking for the Brand New of 2001, this album will come as a jolting surprise, but to a listener looking to witness the band’s progression, this album will be enjoyable.