Brand New – Science Fiction
This year has definitely been the year of the comeback album. Bands that have been on hiatus for long stretches of time have finally decided to return with new albums that always surprise us. Now, these comeback albums all tend to vary in quality. For instance, this year saw the return of two classic groups: Slowdive and At-The Drive In. One group was able to capture the feeling of their original work while also not sounding old and the other released an album that was so unbelievably disappointing that it even hurts me to talk about it.
Thankfully Brand New’s long awaited and seemingly final album is a notch into the positive category. What’s impressive with this new record is how even after an 8 year hiatus, the band still sounds like a band that is right on top of things. Brand New’s 2006 masterpiece The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me is an album that revitalized the emo genre by taking it back to its roots. It was able to keep the self-decrepitating and angsty lyrics and while it felt melodramatic at times, the album was able to resonate with listeners on a more personal level.
This a new Brand New, for lack of a better term, and it shows. This album really does feel like a final swan song for the band that sense of finality lingers heavy over the album. It makes the lyrics feel extremely meaningful and powerful. Again, like with their previous albums (barring maybe Your Favorite Weapon), Brand New is able to keep the listener invested while they sing about self-worth , loathing, and loneliness. Lyrically, the band his necessarily treading new waters, but the familiar works well. Brand New works best when they’re vulnerable and they are that and THEN some on this record.
Same Logic/Teeth remains my favorite song on the entire album solely due to how hard hitting these lyrics are. The idea of using the same logic to get out of situations over and over again only to have terrible results hit me a little too hard. This line especially stuck with me:
“And you’ve got your kind of brand new face on, where all the skin’s pulled thin and taut
And every kid you see starts crying so you stop going out for walks
Well I guess nothing can be perfect, so here’s a comforting thought
At the bottom of the ocean fish won’t judge you by your faults
(Judge you by your faults)”
I interpreted this line as a person hiding their true selves from a person that cares about them and they can’t cover up how they feel all of the time. However, as we all know, nothing in life is perfect and ruse inevitably fails. At least in the ocean though, no one can judge you, right?
Another favorite track is “In The Water”, which further empowers that finite feeling of the band as this song tackles the band itself and the perceived reception of this very album. This songs to ask the question, “Are we really finished?” Perhaps he’s asking that question to the listener or to himself, but we all know the answer. This song has plenty of throwbacks to Brand New’s 2009 album Daisy and it feels like the band reminiscing about past times while reminding us that this truly is the end.
This album does reference water a lot and I originally just made the initial observation and moved on, but there’s something of note to be said here. In the context of the album, water might be a metaphor for death. Now whether he means his own personal death or the death of the band is unclear, but I’ll leave that up to you to determine.
Instrumentally, this album is very reminiscent of “The Devil and God” with a little bit of Radiohead sprinkled in. They tend to be very somber in nature with some energetic tracks in to break up the slower songs.The use of sampling really does help the album transition as well. The theme of the album tends to be self-care due to the therapy sessions that play before and after every track.
All in all, this record is damn incredible. I honestly can’t think of a single negative thing about Science Fiction. Vocal performance? Flawless. Instrumentals? Engaging and beautiful. Lyrics? Incredible and thought-provoking. It’s a bittersweet farewell, but emphasis on the sweet because this is currently my AOTY. And personally, I don’t see anything topping it.
10/10
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