Brand New’s Science Fiction is well worth the epic wait
By Samantha Puc
On their first album in eight years, Brand New dive deep into the musical stylings and bizarre sound clips that elevated them to cult status.
Brand New fans reported receiving a mysterious CD in the mail on Thursday, after pre-orders for an extremely limited run of the band’s new vinyl record had sold out. Hours later, the band released the official download link for its first album in eight years, and the mystery was solved.
Science Fiction recalls the band’s previous records beautifully, while also offering brand new sounds for a brand new age. Jesse Lacey still sounds as angry as he ever did; lyrics like “you look so lovely but you sound so ugly” (“Same Logic/Teeth”) and “hold me down underwater and don’t let me up again” (“No Control”) shine in his distinctive drawl. Every single one registers like a punch to the chest.
Guitarist Vincent Accardi and bassist Garrett Tierney provide backing vocals; in harmony with Lacey, the lyrics take on an almost ethereal quality. They also call on tracks like “At the Bottom” (Daisy, 2009) and even “Seventy Times 7” (Your Favorite Weapon, 2001). It’s 2017 and Jesse Lacey still writes about betrayal, angels and demons like nothing else matters. Maybe it doesn’t. For Brand New fans, at the very least, the devil and god are very much alive and present in the music this band produces.
In addition to heart-stopping lyrics and gorgeous vocals, Science Fiction is just a really solid record.
The instrumentals fall in line with the band’s later albums, especially Daisy; drummer Brian Lane shines on harder tracks (“Same Logic/Teeth”, “Out of Mana”) but otherwise takes a backseat. Soaring guitar notes, spoken word samples, and heavy bass lines perpetuate on nearly every track. It’s not a concept album, but it plays like one, especially when you think about Brand New’s growing mythos.
Science Fiction opens with a 6-minute, 17-second track that’s half recorded content not from the band. It seems the ephemeral, hard-hitting punk days of Your Favorite Weapon are truly over; post-The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Brand New has committed to its epic, mythological sound. That isn’t a complaint; Brand New hit its stride with Devil and God and they’ve been riding that wave.
After eight years of waiting, it’s incredible to hear Science Fiction in its entirety and hear all of its throwbacks to previous albums. Brand New also throws in some curveballs — “Out of Mana” is straight up a song about tabletop gaming (or perhaps Magic: The Gathering) — and instrumentals and structure on “451” sound more like Jack White than Brand New.
Overall, the sound on Science Fiction is super solid. It’s cohesive, interesting, and emotional. There’s a depth and breadth to the overall quality that’s genuinely breathtaking. Several listens into Science Fiction, new things keep coming to light. It’s everything fans would expect from a Brand New record, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Plus, it ends in the Brand New tradition with a ballad packed to the brim with romantic lyrics. Really, what more is there?
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You can purchase a digital copy of Brand New’s Science Fiction at PMT! You can also pre-order a CD or vinyl copy for delivery in October. For tour info, see Brand New’s website.