It’s been a long 8 years since Brand New’s last LP release, and with each year that passed without a new album, the anticipation of their next release grew. Even for a relatively late-comer to the Brand New fanbase (their were recommended to me by a former bandmate a few years back, and I did the “why did I not know about these guys sooner?” dance), I knew the stakes were high for this album. One of the great things that most Brand New fans are quick to point out is how this band has been able to mature and change their sound on each album while maintaining the soul of their roots. No small feat by any means, and something that most artists aspire to achieve. Their first album, Your Favorite Weapon, was straight-up pop punk/early 00s emo and it was beautiful in its own right. The 2nd LP they released, Deja Entendu, took a giant leap forward instead of hitting a sophomore slump. Entendu still had some of the familiar elements of the angst from the first album and the emo was definitely in full swing (which I maintain is a good thing), but it was definitely more mature in every way.
Their follow up, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, took yet another huge leap forward from Entendu, becoming much more textural and subtle – quickly becoming a fan favorite to this day. They released Daisy in 2009 and tried for some new textures and experimented with some ideas in a way I usually describe to friends as “going full hipster.” Daisy was good in its own right, but I still found The Devil and God and Entendu to be more engaging, but since 2009 we the fans have only satiated our desire for that next big leap forward with a few one-off Single/3 Song EP releases.
So we waited and waited and waited, until finally (and seemingly out of nowhere at the same time) Science Fiction was released, and it was time to see if the album held up to all these expectations built up over the past 10 years. And I’ve got to say, at least for me, it fulfills everything I wanted this album to be, and gives even the listener more than expected.
The album starts off with a tape loop of woman relaying her account of a psychologically-laced dream moving into the slow burner of an opening track, “Lit Me Up.” It’s a perfect start to set the tone for the rest of the album. “Lit Me Up” is heavy on developing textures while staying within a pop song structure so as to not stray too far into the experimental. From “Lit Me Up” the album goes to “Can’t Get It Out” which is more of a straight-up single that is at times somewhat bouncy (they use acoustic guitars while whistling the melody) and at times is heavy and distorted and like a grunge track. These two songs back to back introduce the thematic and sonic paradoxes upon which the rest of the album is built.
The beginning to this album straddles the line between a deep concept album and a textural indie rock album, and honestly that ‘s an apt description for the album in its entirety. Various tape loops return throughout the album, giving it somewhat of a narrative feel; however, if there is a narrative current running underneath the album, it is not made explicit lyrically or in the loops. I’m perfectly fine with that, because what we have is a sonic narrative, developed with moods and textures instead of words, and that’s something that I feel like Brand New has been chasing their whole career, especially on The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me and Daisy.
On Science Fiction, I feel like it really comes together for them, and those ten years in between release paid off. They are able to balance the textural slow burners with poppy-er/heavier singles, and that balances continues throughout the album. While you’re able to fully experience this contrast by listening through the album in one sitting, most, if not all of the songs are able to stand alone. That had been my one complaint with previous Brand New releases. Their albums tend to err on the long side, and previously it seemed that they would put all of the singles/or songs that could stand by themselves in the first half of the album and the second half would consist primarily (if not entirely) of slow burning deep cuts. I felt that this track listing on previous albums didn’t let the deep cuts have the full impact that they deserve. For me the back half of Entendu and The Devil and God (and if I’m perfectly honest, they majority of Daisy) runs together and I have trouble remembering which song is which. They’re good songs, especially in the context of the rest of the album, but these deep cuts had trouble standing by themselves.
But on Science Fiction, I feel as though they finally get the mix of deep cuts to heavy hitters right. You do have some slow burners, but they are interspersed well with songs that can stand alone as singles, letting the each type of song speak for itself more poignantly. Some of my picks for standout tracks (including both deep cuts and heavy hitters) are “Can’t Get It Out,” “Same Logic/Teeth,” “137,” “Desert,” and “Batter Up.”
Science Fiction is a textural masterpiece that experiments with compositional contrast and avant-garde layering, while still being a great rock record. They stay within the medium of an indie-rock album without straying too far into the experimental, which as any artist will tell you, is a difficult balance to strike. It’s very easy to become self-indulgent and keep adding in things that are cool and experimental but weaken the songs and the record as a whole. Brand New skillfully avoids that, many times keeping to the old adage of “Less is more,” so that where the songs do err on the side of the experimental, it actually means something instead of simply indulging the desire to experiment for experimentation’s sake. That’s the mark of a master of their craft, and it makes for some great music.
This is an album with artists at the top of their game making music that stretches the listener while still being accessible. It is well worth the wait and I highly recommend a listen, it is honestly one of my favorite albums to come out this year so far. Listen to it on all streaming services or pick it up in physical format here:
https://www.procrastinatemusictraitors.com/products/598731-brand-new-science-fiction
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-Kyle Smith
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