When
I was in high school, I was always looking for new music. In my senior year, I
received a mix CD from a friend of a friend whose musical tastes apparently
lined up with mine on some level. While that mix was hardcore-heavy, filled
with tracks from artists such as Norma Jean, Job for a Cowboy, and Chiodos, it
also featured two tracks by Brand New, specifically “Jude Law and a Semester
Abroad” and “Seventy Times 7.” With my first listen, I was immediately and
irrevocably hooked, and my fever was not sated until I had purchased the parent
record of those tracks: Your Favorite
Weapon.
I
spun that disc in my car for what was probably months, for I found myself truly
connecting with every track. The pop-driven punk that Brand New was providing had
me dancing with every listen, and my voice soon disappeared as I sang along to
the catchy and anthem-like lyrics. And even now, when that I spin that record
five years later, I am no less engrossed in every note.
The
sound of this record is steeped in fun riffs, catchy melodies, and unbridled
enthusiasm. It is brimming with the energy of youth, apparent especially in the
thrashing guitars, crashing drums, and vocal parts that are as much shouted as
they are sung. Although relatively simple, the music that Brand New presents
here is undoubtedly honest all the way through—we can listen to every member of
the band beating at his instrument, tearing each note and noise from its core. Most
importantly, however, is that the songs on this record can make the listener
truly feel the emotions embedded within—all the pain, anxiety, and insanity of
youth is vividly brought to the forefront of our minds, and in that aspect,
this record truly is a formidable weapon.
While
the record as a whole is indeed powerful, that power lies rooted in the honesty
and individuality inherent in each track. Every song is a powerhouse, able to
stand up on its own without the support of the rest of the album. As such, a
track-by-track analysis seems the best avenue for communicating my undying love
for this record.
1. The Shower Scene
Presentation is a big factor to consider when analyzing any
album, and with “The Shower Scene,” Brand New gives us a first impression that
is loud, fast, and well-thought-out. The song is hard-hitting from the
beginning, setting the scene for the rest of Your Favorite Weapon. But
while doing so, it also asserts itself as a unique piece on the record. The
song features a distortive filter on Jesse Lacey’s vocals, adding an unnatural
ire to his voice as he tears up an ex-girlfriend. Furthermore, the musical
aspect of the writing is filled with syncopated hits and features a unique
moment for the record that showcases the band’s abilities to switch time
signatures in a bridge alternating between measures of 6/8 and 7/8. When all is
said and done, this tune is noisy and energetic in all the right ways,
encouraging the listener to get stoked for the rest of the record.
2. Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Along with “Seventy Times 7,” “Jude Law and a Semester
Abroad” gave me my first exposure to Brand New, and soon convinced me to
purchase the whole record. It’s a tune that gets me grooving no matter where I
am, and after countless listens, I am still enamored of it.
The first and only single released off of this record, “Jude
Law and a Semester Abroad” is probably also the record’s best lyrical
performance. Jesse’s vindictive vocal opens the song, stating quite clearly his
complete mistrust of a girlfriend who’s going overseas, which Adam Dlugacz of Popmatters describes as “a rite of
passage for any teenager.”[1]
The entirety of the tune seems to demand singing along despite its angry tone
and dark humor, as Jesse not-so-subtly hopes her plane will crash on the way to
England.
The song also features some explosively fun guitar work from
Vincent Accardi, as well as our first exposure to the idea of vocal
counterpoint, a massively thematic musical choice on the record, as Brand New
combines and layers three different lyrical ideas at the close of the song. Undeniably
catchy all the way through, this song asserts itself easily as one of the best
on the record.
3. Sudden Death in Carolina
This song is a high-energy invitation into the madness of
high school interaction, where words and looks are as deadly as grenades. “Sudden
Death in Carolina” presents a ton of interesting and cool lyrical images. The
words playfully address the life-or-death feeling that dominates our youth, as
the speaker compares his relationship thoroughly to a homicide investigation in
the chorus. The subject seems so desperate, yet the melody and music dispel any
urgency the words attempt to relay, creating a fun and nostalgic feel to the
desperation every young person feels.
One of my favorite parts of this song is the drumming, which
unfortunately seems to be buried in the mix. Brian Lane plays with conventions
as he begins each phrase of the verse with a drum fill on beat one, a bold move
in a style of music that relies on simplicity. He also peppers the middle of
the song with syncopated snare hits and rimshots, providing further flavor to
an already heated composition. “Sudden Death in Carolina” is a tune with a lot
going on in it, and each listen seems always to provide a little bit more.
4. Mix Tape
This is a tune that stands out against the rest on the
record for many reasons. Perhaps the simplest song on Your Favorite Weapon, “Mix Tape” features but two chords and one
barely variated vocal part, yet it remains fascinating in its blatant
juxtaposition against the sound of the record. “Mix Tape” is slow and trudging
when compared to the rest of the record’s fast-paced tunes, and yet one listen
asserts that it belongs nowhere else.
“Mix Tape” sounds
like a live track, featuring a notable amount of reverb on the drums and an
outro that slowly descends into absolute chaos. The power of the song is not
lost in the relaxed tempo, only reserved—the band seems to store this energy up
behind the vocals, only to release it explosively near the end. The song
structure is also different from the rest of the tunes on the record, eschewing
the verse-chorus feel in favor of a more anthem-like vocal part in which Jesse
salutes both his musical idols and shamelessly plugs his own band.[2]
Between grooving guitar riffs and lyrics that bear a grudge, this tune is worth
more than a hasty examination.
5. Failure by Design
Few songs are so blatantly hateful of anything as “Failure by
Design,” yet the lighthearted melody used to present that hatred makes it just
as unique. This song chronicles the exhaustive agony of the process of
recording, a sentiment any musician can relate to. Lyrically, it doesn’t stand
out against the rest of the record, but the energy and catchiness of the chorus
make the tune as adhesive as Krazy Glue, and it is simply impossible not to
sing along to the “doo-doo-doo” of the bridge.
The vocals on this track are especially expressive of both the
exhaustion and the enmity of the speaker of the song, as Jesse alternates
between a defeated sigh and a scream torn from his core. For a tune laden with
loathing, “Failure by Design” presents a damn good time.
6. Last Chance to Lose Your Keys
Although possibly the weakest lyrical performance, this song
epitomizes the roiling ocean of high school relationships. Again, Jesse’s
vocals are straightforwardly hurtful and accusatory, foreboding an imminent
breakup with a girl who won’t give him the time of day, and although I’m not
fond of the lyrics to this tune, I find the lines “leave your lipstick at home
/ Don’t pick up the phone / Don’t bother to look in my direction”[3]
to be absolutely brilliant, as the speaker shuts down any possible avenue of advance
from his scorned lover. A simple song all the way through, “Last Chance to Lose
Your Keys” is still fun and catchy, and gets stuck in my head more often than
any song from Your Favorite Weapon. The
song almost seems like a pop-punk ballad with its dynamics and its culminating
three-part counterpoint, which allow it to truly fit with the feel of the
entire record.
7. Logan to Government Center
“Logan to Government Center” is the pinnacle of Brand New’s
performance on this record. Musically rock-solid and lyrically inventive, it
captures the youthful wish to be understood and accepted, especially by a
high-school crush. Jesse’s writing abilities are truly showcased in this song,
as he fine tunes both the meaning of his lyrics and the sounds embedded within.
For instance, in the first verse he builds am entire progression based only on
the sound of the word consider:
“Consider this a letter than I never sent / However inconsiderate it seems / Do
you still consider me?”[4]
He further explores this idea by repeating sounds in the counterpoint of the
chorus: “Nothing’s absolutely definite until it’s absolutely definitely gone.”
Powerful, emotional, and rocking, this tune is easily my
favorite from Your Favorite Weapon.
The whole performance, from drums to vocals to guitars, is extremely passionate
and honest. Every note is deliberate and fully reinforced in “Logan to
Government Center,” giving it an oomph that far surpasses the rest of the
record. Overall, this tune is one that gives me goosebumps with each listen,
and one which I simply must sing along to.
8. The No Seatbelt Song
Though the title perhaps is a tongue-in-cheek reference to
“Seventy Times 7,” any connection between “The No Seatbelt Song” and the rest
of Your Favorite Weapon seems to end
there. This song is of an entirely different caliber that those surrounding it,
making it stand out in both positive and negative ways. It is both slower and quieter
than any of the other tunes, and features Jesse singing in a lower register. The
minor key, the lyrics, and the music all gently hint at a darker side to Brand
New, which, like the reverb-laden (and poorly deployed) drum machine at the end
of the track, makes its only appearance on the record within this song.
While “The No Seatbelt Song” does little for me as a piece
of music, it remains an important part of this record for a different reason.
This tune is entirely unlike the rest of the songs on the record—it doesn’t
seem to fit in the overall sound or even in the track listing. However, the
fact that Brand New chose to include it, when they probably could have scrapped
it or saved it for a later release, shows audacity and honesty, two things I
can truly appreciate in any artist. Rather than compromising for the sake of a
“sound,” Brand New chose to include “The No Seatbelt Song” on this record, and
thus it belongs nowhere else.
9. Seventy Times 7
If “Failure by Design” expresses an extreme hatred of an
idea, “Seventy Times 7” takes that hatred and gives it a real world
application. Allegedly about a disagreement between Jesse Lacey and Taking Back
Sunday guitarist John Nolan,[5]
the lyrical content of this song is amazing in the graceful way it expresses
unabashed abhorrence. Lacey is simultaneously scathing and poetic, elegantly
praying for the death of his adversary from either asphyxiation or a car
accident. The song is stocked with memorable lines as Jesse attacks the
character of his enemy, calling him “as subtle as a brick” while claiming “I’ve
seen more spine in jellyfish / I’ve seen more guts in eleven year old kids.”[6]
Jesse’s emphatic vocal furthers his ire as he tears each word from the lining
of his throat, screaming and shouting and even seeming to throw the microphone
at the end of the recording.
For all the anger pent up within this track, the band could
not have created a catchier musical arrangement. The guitar riffs are energetic
and fun, and the song holds an incomparable groove all the way through. The
music couples all the force of punk rock with the carefree enjoyment of pop,
seamlessly coagulating in perhaps the most sing-along-able chorus on the
record.
“Seventy Times 7” was my second exposure to Brand New, and
gave me the final push to purchase a record that I’ve come to cherish. Between
the inventive lyrics and the invigorated musicianship, it’s a tune that will remain
embedded in my skull until I die. If you give one song from Your Favorite Weapon a chance, let it be
this one—you will be hard pressed to hate it.
10. Secondary
“Secondary” is another ridiculously catchy song that
embodies Brand New’s pop-punk feel. Between syncopated hits, alternating
dynamics, and powerful melodies, there is a ton going on in this song. Garrett
Tierney tears up his bass on this track, mixing high-register chords and
basslines that border on walks throughout the tune, while the outro guitar riff
remains one of my favorite licks on the record. The band slams this song around
while remaining a tight musical unit, an idea even further expressed in the
demo version of the song (from the Your
Favorite Weapon reissue), which features an intro riff in 12/8.
The beautifully constructed vocal melodies in “Secondary”
are my favorite on the record. The extreme amount of fun packed into each note
belies the exhausted voice of the lyrics, and the song’s themes of flirtation
and confusion are brilliantly told through harmony and counterpoint. With “Secondary,”
Brand New gives us a reason to celebrate our befuddled youth, to roll our windows
down and shout at the top of our lungs.
11. Magazines
At first, “Magazines” may seem like a throwaway track on the
record, something whipped up in a few hours to fill another space, and perhaps
it is just that. Even so, it remains another phenomenal pop-punk piece that
sticks inside the listener’s head for days. Every high schooler has a celebrity
crush at one point, and apparently Jesse Lacey is no exception, as he hopelessly
pines for a woman named Laetitia (possibly the French actress and model
Laetitia Casta)[7]. The lyrics, while not
exceptional, vividly capture the silly fantasies and ridiculous fears
associated with puberty, all carried by some thrashing guitar work from Vincent
Accardi. The song’s punk music and pop melodies meld into a powerhouse of exuberance,
guaranteeing a good time for any listener, and assuring us that “Magazines” is
definitely not a song to be thrown away.
12. Soco Amaretto Lime
The staple acoustic anthem, “Soco Amaretto Lime” is a simple
musical piece through and through, composed of palm-muted power chords and an
almost-spoken melody. Like “The No Seatbelt Song,” there is a gentle feel to
this tune, and although the writing of the song isn’t much to look at, the song’s
value becomes immediately apparent in that it epitomizes the sentiment built
into Your Favorite Weapon. “Soco
Amaretto Lime” is the voice of a high school party as much as it is the silence
between two best friends. Perhaps most interesting are the backing vocals,
which stand in sharp contrast to the main melody as the band sings “Everybody
wake up! Wake up! Everybody / Everybody wake up! It’s time to get down!”[8]
“Soco Amaretto Lime” is a song that bottles the feeling of
infinity that surrounds every youth, looking forward to an undetermined future
while wishing life could “stay eighteen forever.” There is an air of uncertainty
in this song, a feeling that Brand New knows that as they close out their first
full length, they too are closing a chapter of their lives, hesitantly moving
into a new era. This song completes the saga of Brand New in Your Favorite Weapon—it marks their last
night as kids, paying homage to the insanity, the desperation, and the vivacity
that made them who they are, and thus becomes the anthem for all of us to rally
around as we too take that step onto our future paths.
 |
| The cover art for the Your Favorite Weapon Reissue |
Your Favorite Weapon, while continuing to reign in my top ten albums, is a record that seems to catch a lot of flak. It is a simple record, built on punk chord progressions, an overtired song structure, and the complaints of a high school kid still dealing with his past. The fact that this record seems to have so little going on, and yet receives a generally positive response, has driven some to despise it entirely (such as in this review by Type in Stereo). In truth, Your Favorite Weapon is a simple record, but that simplicity is what makes it accessible. The honesty of Brand New is not hidden behind anything pretentious—and if the bridge of “the Shower Scene” says anything, they could be pretentious about it—instead choosing to throw themselves wholly into making music they love and music they mean. In their songs is hidden an idea that works no matter how you spin it, always succeeding in getting a crowd to their feet, undoubtedly knitting their voices into one chorus. Brand New doesn’t milk a dry concept with this record; they do what they came to do: share their music and the fun that is central to it.
In Your Favorite Weapon, Brand New presents a photo album of high school drama that, for all the relationship rifts and angry taunts that the songs portray, is presented with a carefree and joyous attitude that seems to celebrate the sufferings of youth as rites of passage. The music is rooted in the liveliness of their teenaged years, and as such, each song seems to demand both movement and participation from the listener—there is no sitting allowed. It’s an incredible listen throughout, energetic and invigorating and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a record that continues to inspire me in my own songwriting, as I’m sure it does countless others. Furthermore, it is an affirmation that our youth, which we tend to look back on with embarrassment, is a necessary step to becoming who we are and remaining true to the path that led us there.
