Retro Review- Brand New "Your Favorite Weapon"

I was listening to this on my way to work on Thursday, and thought I should review this track by track. I've been lax on doing this type of review, so here we go.  Just a bit of background information on this album.  I got into this band just on a whim. I kept hearing the name, and thought I should get some of their stuff.  So I started with "Deja Entendu", which is what put this band on the map.  It was definitely a bit of an upgrade in music and sound from Brand New.  "Your Favorite Weapon" is full of power punk chords blasting, great vocals by Jesse Lacey, songs about girls and relationships, and just an overall feel of a first album from a band.  Brand New were trying to find their way in the scene, especially that Long Island/New Jersey scene back in late 90s and early 2000s.  Bands like Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, the Movie Life, and such were all trying to get their names out there. I imagine that would have been a great time to just hang out and hear the music these bands were making.  


The Music Starts and We're Rocking Away!!

the Shower Scene-  The vocals have always got me in this song.  There's definitely some vocal effect on it, but I can't quite figure it out.  I love how it just starts out strong right away with drums pounding, bass going, guitars distorted, and the singing.  It is quite the opener.  This comes from the wikipedia page "A line in "The Shower Scene" (which itself is a reference to Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho) which reads "It's time for you to choose / The bullet or the chapstick" is an allusion to a speech by Malcolm X entitled "The Ballot or the Bullet". The song also features additional vocals fromDaryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Head Automatica."  Interesting side note about the song.  


Jude Law and a Semester Abroad-  Once again it's the vocals that seem to capture me.  Lines like "i hope the next boy you kiss has something contagious on his lips"  What guy hasn't thought this about a girl in their time?  It's all about the idea of a girl moving on, but definitely not with the right guy, which is you.  The guys wants to be back in the girls life no matter what.  


Sudden Death in Carolina-  The chorus catches your ear right away "Call 911.
I'm already dead but someone should be caught
and held responsible for this bloody mess."  It's all about fighting in a relationship, and seems like the girl will get the upper hand.  All the passion that is from the singing is really the best quality of this album.  You can really feel the energy coming from the band.  They really believe in these songs.

Mix Tape-  "And I'm sick of your tattoos, and the way you don't appreciate Brand New or me"  My favorite line on the WHOLE album.  I think it's such a cool way to put your band's name in the song.  Sometimes you don't have someone in your life that really does give you the respect they should, especially if you're always there for them.  It's a two way street in my mind.  I'm there for you and you're there for me. 

Failure By Design-  What I get out of this song is that it's all about frustration.  It could be frustration with that one girl, a job, school, or just life in general.  Frustration with things can definitely keep you up at night, as I've seen a few times.  You think that clock keeps ticking away, and you just want to sleep and forget everything.  Each day keeps moving on, and sometimes you think that should get back to that previous day.  The bridge of the song is great in that it says "that you have nothing to say but do. do. do."   Who hasn't been there?  Just speechless about everything.

Last Chance to Lose Your Keys-  The song mentions about being better off home on a Saturday night and not really putting yourself out there, which I've felt a lot lately.  I am just out for myself nowadays.  Don't always need that "special" someone in my life.  I know I can count on myself for things, and that's good enough for me.  Funny how a song from 2001 written by kids who were only 18 and 19 at the time can mean so much in my life at 2011.  

Logan to Government Center-  Song singing about wanting to be with that right girl.  Maybe waiting for her to make the first move.  Sometimes a guy gets tired of ALWAYS putting himself out there, and it would be great for a girl to call up and say hey I set up something for us to do.  Just my thinking on this song. 

The No Seatbelt Song-  An acoustic song that is kind of haunting. Lots of reverb on the vocals, and there's just the feedback of a guitar in the beginning that fades away.  The guys wants that one girl in his life.  If he can't have her, why would he want anyone else?  Maybe if that girl heard this song, she would end up with him.  It's the fairy tale dreaming right?  Things pick up in the song a bit towards the end of the song.  The drums sound very processed as does the vocals, guitars, and bass.  A big statement to make at the end of the song.  

Seventy Times 7-  Possibly my favorite song on the album. I love the punk ness of it.  The vocals are delivered so strongly that once again you just believe the emotion of it.  You never know how you'll handle a breakup until it happens, which is definitely a theme of this song.  "As if this happening wasn't enough I got to go

and write a song just to remind myself how bad it sucked."  I can't tell you how many times I've picked up my guitar and just sang out things that were bothering me. I probably wouldn't write half the songs I've written if it weren't for that.  Towards the end, it talks about how you'll stay friends with that ex, but how many times does that really happen even after you say it?  

Secondary-  The girl is putting down the guy in this song.  She's telling him things that he does wrong as if it's that horrible.  No one is perfect, and unless that mistake is really bad, no sense in bringing it up.  The guy realizes he shouldn't engage it, and let it go.  No sense in keeping someone around like that. 

Magazines-  You want that girl back so bad, you even keep the pictures of her still around you.  Keeping the door open in case she stops by.  You think you'll always get that girl and sweep her away.  This album is really such a statement about relationships.  

Soco Amaretto Lime-  This has always been a great way to close the album.  Just the acoustic guitar and some vocals going.  It makes me think of being young again and out at a fire pit.  Someone just sitting there playing this song, and we're all there enjoying a night on the beach.  It would be great to be back to those days.  You're only as old as you feel.