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Showing reviews 1-5 of 54
 Dashboard Confessional endorsed US rock January 12, 2004
Mr. Jon Peache
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
A quick glance at the track listing is enough to show that Brand New aren#8217;t your typical US frat boys, who#8217;ve struck lucky and got a record deal. Song titles such as the fine (and long) #8216;Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die#8217; are a bold statement of intent in anyone#8217;s books, but largely, this promise is delivered.pThe album opens with #8216;Tautou#8217;, a brief, sparse (yet kind of ethereal) intro, which is a good way to set the tone for what is to follow. pFuture single #8216;Sic Transit Gloria#8217; is all creeping, funky bass and guitar, and the antithesis of those Hip Hop/R n B songs that boast of the artist#8217;s sexual prowess. Singer Jesse Lacey has written this from the point of view of the sexually inexperienced male, terrified of his impending coming of age moment with a more dominant woman, a nice reversal of the man as sexual predator stereotype.pLyrically, Lacey at times calls to mind a less eloquent, American Morrissey (albeit without the sense of humour), with his biting cynicism of those around him. Nowhere is this more evident than on (the possibly Home Alone inspired) #8216;Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don#8217;t#8217;, seemingly an ode to a former lover, during which he declares his band to #8216;be the best at what we do#8217;, and that #8216;it hurts to be this good#8217;. It#8217;s not clear how seriously we should take these claims, though one suspects the band don#8217;t believe their own hype this much. The line #8216;I hope you come down with something they can#8217;t diagnose, don#8217;t have the cure for#8217; is one which sticks in the throat, and should mean something to anyone who#8217;s suffered from a nasty relationship fall out.pOne of the most touching moments comes on the less cynical, twisted love song of #8216;The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot#8217;, Lacey declaring his feelings for a former lover who he has wronged in some undisclosed way. Clearly full of regret, it is one of the few times on the LP that Lacey allows his mask of cynicism to slip to show he#8217;s not a complete misanthrope. pElsewhere, #8216;Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis#8217; is reminiscent of the Foo Fighters#8217; #8216;Tired Of You#8217; in its#8217; simplicity, whilst #8216;Guernica#8217; is another example of the quiet verse/loud chorus formula which works so well throughout the LP, with an explosive shouty bit in the middle 8.pCloser #8216;Play Crack The Sky#8217; is the only fully acoustic track on the album, and draws analogies between the end of a relationship and a sinking ship. The ending, with the coda #8216;this is the end#8217; is sublime, and a great way to end one of the albums of 2003.pIf there is any criticism to be made, then it can only be that sometimes Lacey has too much to say, trying to fit too many words into each line, so that on occasion songs sound cluttered. The listener can do nothing but focus on the lyrical content, around which most of the songs here seem to have been written. Whilst this is fine at present, it remains to be seen whether Lacey can find enough inspiration to keep up the standard set here over too many more albums.
Didn't think they could get better, but they did ... June 5, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is one of my favourite albums of all time. I played "Your Favorite Weapon" constantly for weeks, but now that they've matured, Brand New are even better. I loved the fast songs on "Your Favorite Weapon", but found the best quality in "Soco Amaretto Lime" and "The No Seatbelt Song". Those deeper songs are BN's real niche and they should stick to it, which they've done with "Deja Entendu". The slow slongs are in the majority here, but they are addictive slow songs with strong choruses like only Brand New can do. There are also a couple of fantastic fast (but again more mature) tracks.p(1) "Tautou" -- More of an intro than a real track. Kind of pretty ... It's neither bad nor really good so I tend to skip it. A decent warm-up though.p(2) "Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades" -- A fantastic song, one of the fast tracks on the album. It's ultimately about a guy losing his virginity and not feeling quite ready, but you have to listen carefully to get that. It's surprisingly moving - the lyrics and chorus are great.p(3) "I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light" -- This song is about homesickness and it's very moving. Slow-ish but catchy and with a good chorus. I love it, depressing as it is.p(4) "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't" -- Yet another of my favourites. It's really beautiful, and has an eerie feel to it, but with quite bitter lyrics. Like most of these songs, it starts of slow but catchy, and speeds up with a catchy, powerful chorus. I'm not sure what it's about exactly, but it's great anyway ;-)p(5) "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" -- Another fast song. This one is anthemic, addictive and impossible to tire of. Probably favourite ever BN track. It's very heart-wrenching, and you will love it instantly.p(6) "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot" -- One of the real slowies, but beautiful. A really sincere song to a girl he's hurt. The lyrics seem so genuine and sad.p(7) "Jaws Theme Swimming" -- It took me a bit longer to get into this one for some reason. Maybe I just didn't give it a chance. I do love it now. It's catchy with good lyrics, and the verses have a really unusual, haunting sound.p(8) "Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis" -- I love this song so much. From what I gather, it's about a guy who picks up a girl but feels bad he's taking advantage of her. It's sad with beautiful lyrics and a consistently lovely tune. This one is definitely in the style of "The No Seatbelt Song" or "Soco Amaretto Lime". A Brand New classic.p(9) "Guernica" -- A fast song, angry as well as sad. It's about one of the member's grandfather having lung cancer, and all the emotions that come with that. It's extra moving when you know that background. It has a great chorus.p(10) "Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die" -- Is there really any need for a 16-word title?! I think not. I love Brand New's long, abstract song names but this one is a bit much in my opinion. Anyway, it's a good song. Slow and sad with a good chorus. A brilliant listen (and a long one, at 7 minutes).p(11) "Play Crack The Sky" -- I agree with other reviewers that it's beautiful and moving, but this just isn't one of my favourites. I find it *too* sad, even by Brand New's standards. You really need to be in the right mood to hear it, or it'll make you cry! It's lovely but hasn't got the definite chorus the other songs have. Stunning vocals and lyrics - it's a metaphor about loving and losing someone.
Amazing, read on... February 18, 2006
neuronslikebrandy (Brighton, UK)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Deja Entendu is awesome. It effortlessly flows between heavy, visceral sonic fury and delicate, beautiful soft camp fire esq. music. It is at times simple and raw, and at others layered and complex. If you have an interest in guitar music at all, you can#8217;t help but be impressed with the imagination that went into it and how far forward this band has brought music that used to be called punk. Its really outstanding and still leaves me breathless after many many plays.brIt#8217;s not without its shortfalls though, and they#x27;re all to do with the lyrics. I#x27;m of the opinion that artists have the right to say whatever they damn well like, regardless of the way some people may interpret their words. But I know some people reading this will disagree, and with that in mind: Deja Entendu is undeniable #x27;emo#x27; in the sense that it is self indulgent, and this may bother some listeners. Other words you could use to describe the lyrics are arrogant ("This is the way you wish your voice sounds, handsome and smart"), irresponsible, given that Brand New have an overwhelmingly young audience ("die young and save yourself"). Some of the songs have a tone verging on misogyny as well. This album is musically deep and mature, and lyrically deep, poetic but immature. Now these things would be annoying and off-putting if the songs here were average or just ok. But they#x27;re not, they#x27;re astonishing. And that more than makes up for their faults in my opinion, though they could not be reviewed without being mentioned.brBasically, I can#x27;t believe this band isn#8217;t more popular then they are. They are often put in a box with bands like Taking Back Sunday and Funeral for a Friend, but really do it better than anyone musically near them. I would call Deja Entendu essential listening, there#8217;s not many cds that you could better spend your money on. Some people won#x27;t like what some of the songs are saying but it#8217;s worth remembering that bands don#x27;t make music to be politically correct, or to be rational and reasonable. Its about passion and raw emotion, and you get that here with a talent and an eloquence that is almost beyond comparison.
A Landmark Record October 25, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Trying to make a comparison between Deja Entendu and another record is proving to be difficult. It is hard to think of another CD so full of consistant talented, originaly styled music, and dripping with such brutal honesty. This is a rock CD with lyrics so meaningfull it is tough not to find songs that seem to directly relate to yourself. Each track is filled with poetic verses and catchy choruses brimming with teenage angst. But there's no whineing here... No "I love this girl, but I don't have the guts to talk to her" kind of stuff that makes you want to throw your stereo through a window, this is deep and meaningful; so much so that you'll be constantly thinking "I know just how this guy feels" as the lead singer produces another line that makes you smile with it's wit.pA final point is that this should never be compared to Brand New's first record. If they'd been clever they would have changed their name as well as their style to try and push themselves as far from their pop punk past as possible. This is different music and technicaly a different band. I would honestly recommend everyone give this record a good listening to, each track has it's own special qualities and the entire CD simply reveals more with every listen...
Simply Brilliant January 20, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have owned this album for several months, and I have to say, I think it is brilliant. After hearing Sic Transit Gloria I bought the album, and I have to say there is not one average/bad song on the entire album. My favourite tracks would be Guernica and Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't. The lyrics especially are simply brilliant - and the chorus' contain some clever guitar work. This album is a must buy!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 54
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