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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deja Entendu? Hardly..., June 17, 2003
Translate the title of Brand New's brand new album (heh) from French to English and you come up with "already heard." Fortunately for music listeners 'round the world, this is hardly the case. After my third listen, I believe it's safe to say that Deja Entendu can generally be described as "experimental". And emo. Very very emo.Admittedly, after giving the disc an initial spin, I was shocked. What the heck happened to my Brand New?! Where's the poppy catchiness?! WHERE IS IT?! If any of you kids are looking for another "Seventy Times 7," you'd best try the next Taking Back Sunday album. Deja Entendu is mellow but harder, slower but more intense, and all out just incredibly DIFFERENT than the band's debut album, "Your Favorite Weapon." I'd say the stand-outs are:
Track 4 - "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't" - These lyrics are really something else. Starts off slow, builds up, then blows up.
Track 5 - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" - The closest thing reminiscent of YFW. This song riffs like mad, and is easily one of the most mature songs Brand New has written to date.
Track 8 - "Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis" - Basically just a really great song. Sounds a bit like "Soco Amaretto Lime". The melody is touching... very emotive.
Track 10 - "Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I have To Do Is Die" - Crazy title, eh? This song is an epic seven minutes, full of catchy hooks, and perhaps the most experimental of the lot. Bright Eyes fans will notice similarities between both bands' singers, especially in "I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light" (Mr. Oberst would be jealous) and the acoustic and heartfelt "Play Crack The Sky." Also, there is generally a lot more singing on the album, whereas in the past, Brand New has been known for their "scream-a-long" type vocals. While the choruses come in with the dual vocals that are classic East Coast style (Taking Back Sunday, Thursday), they are slower here than on the last album. Overall, Deja Entendu is surprising, and much unlike anything Brand New (or anyone) has ever done. My advice is not to write it off after the first listen. No, it won't "grow on you" (this isn't cancer, people, it's MUSIC), but you might be surprised if you give it another go. Don't miss out on what may be the best release of 2003.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW i couldn't believe it!!, February 7, 2004
I will be honest right off the bat. I never gave "emo" a chance, i am into grunge and led zeppelin and stuff, But when i heard this cd it blew my mind. I couldn't believe that a band acctually can still make good music today here is a song by song review of this great cd.1.Tautou- This isn't the greatest song. It is still a nice "opener" song though. The emotional singing technique sounds good though. (3/5) 2.Sir Transit Gloria...Glory Fades- The bass riff in this blew my mind. The chorus hits you in the chest and blows you back. Lyrically it is very interesting Ive never heard another song like it. (6/5) 3.I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light- This has a really cool acoustic intro and the chorus is solid. Overall it is a great song. My favorite part is the Bridge. (4/5) 4.Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't- Crazy name but and amazing song. This song is just unbelievable lyrically and musically. The bridge lyrics when just the bass plays blows my mind every time i hear it. (5/5) 5.The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows- This song is just great. The Chorus is so rock solid it scares me. The way he screams "The quiet things that know ever knows" gives me goosbumps. (5/5) 6.The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot- One word-- WOW. This song is so well written. It is by far one of the best acoustic songs i've ever heard. It is one of my favs on the cd. (6/5) 7.Jaws Theme Swimming- The main riff in this song is just pure genius. The song i think though kind of drags. Good solid Chorus though. (4/5) 8.Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis- This song is really cool. It has some of the best lyrics of the cd. The way he sings this song is just amazingly genius. (5/5) 9.Guernica- This is an good song. The drums really move this song, which is cool. The Chorus is really really good. (5/5) 10.Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die- This song just really moves me from beginning to finish, even though it is long. The Chorus, again, is amazing. (5/5) 11.Play Crack The Sky- This song blew me away. IT is such a good song. Lyrically Musically and the he sings it is so genius. The end lyrics when there is like 3 layers of singing gives me goosebumps. (6/5) All in All this cd really opened my mind that there really is good music out there still. The songs are really cool to sing to a girl (or boy) that you like, trust me they will be all over ya. But that is not what this CD is about, it is about good music. That is what life is for.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Matured, But Still Amazing, December 26, 2003
When I first started getting into Brand New, I had downloaded "Seventy Times 7" and "The Shower Scene" (both on Your Favorite Weapon). Needless to say, I loved both songs, especially the former, and went out to buy the CD. It was more like your typical emo album - nothing truly original, just some well-written songs about heartache. Months later, when I picked up their sophomore album, Deja Entendu, I was surprised, but surely not disappointed. In fact, it went on to become one of my personal favorite albums - ever.
Perhaps you think that's stretching it a little, but then again, perhaps you haven't heard this album. It is evident that Brand New, Jesse Lacey in particular, has matured, both in songwriting and in terms of sound. From heavy bass lines to distortion to beautiful acoustic melodies, this album has something for everyone. While Brand New still focuses on heartache sometimes, like in "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" and "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot," other songs on the album reflect different issues, such as cancer and greedy businessmen. And, as expected, Jesse's voice is ever-expressive. You feel the pain that he feels when he sings about his grandfather being diagnosed with cancer. Wherever he is, no matter what situation he's in, you're right there with him, experiencing every moment.
As in most reviews, I'll give a basic rundown of the songs.
1. Tautou - This is like an intro track. Clocking in at 1:42, the only lyrics are "I'm sinking like a stone in the sea/I'm burning like a bridge for your body". Not too much can be said for it, but it's a nice intro.
2. Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades - This song has some great bass. Really, it does. But music aside, this song is about a boy who's suddenly found himself in a situation where he's growing up a LOT faster than he actually wanted to. Surely a song where people can relate.
3. I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light - This little number starts out acoustically, but builds. From what I can gather, it's about traveling and being homesick.
4. Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't - This is one of the first songs that I ever learned how to play on the guitar. Jesse's lyrics are honest as far as he's concerned, writing such lines as "Oh, it hurts to be this good" and "These are the words you wish you wrote down/This is the way you wish your voice sounds." Different styles of music are evident throughout.
5. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows - Brand New's first single. I think. Either way, it's an excellent song. The bridge is, by far, my favorite part.
6. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - This is one of the true standout songs on this album. It's an apology from Jesse to an ex-girlfriend that he dumped for no reason. Mostly acoustic.
7. Jaws Theme Swimming - This song has a different sound than most songs on the album. It has a rather jazzy feel to it, I think.
8. Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis - I love this song. It's...well, I guess that, in a sense, you could say it's brutally honest. Sample lyric: "I will lie awake/Lie for fun and fake the way I hold you/Let you fall for every empty word I say" Acoustic until the end.
9. Guernica - This is the song that Jesse wrote about his grandfather's cancer diagnosis. In it, he offers his own lungs and wishes that he could enter his grandfather's body and remove all of his cancer.
10. Good To Know That If I Ever Need Attention, All I Have To Do Is Die - This is my favorite song. Written about the greed of the men behind the music (i.e. lawyers and such), it's exactly 7 minutes long. I love the guitar part.
11. Play Crack the Sky - This is a well-written metaphor for the terrible world of heartbreak and heartache. Completely acoustic.
This album might be hard for some fans of Brand New (or, in particular, Your Favorite Weapon) to accept, but the change was a good one. Indeed, Jesse, himself, stated that, had they created another YFW, he felt that his fans would be cheated. Whether you're already a Brand New fan or not, I definitely recommend picking up this album, or at least giving it a good listen. You just might think that I made some sense.
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~ Brand New
~ Taking Back Sunday
~ Taking Back Sunday
~ Finch
~ Taking Back Sunday
by Brand New 
