ive never been one who appreciates 'reviews' of music. i would much rather form my own opinion instead of base it off somebody elses or use theirs as a guide. but ive never anticipated an album before like this one, and i'm about to embark on my own hypocritical journey and share my thoughts on daisy
i went into this record not knowing what to expect. i hated and i loved each new bit of music and information that came along about this project, i loved the band and i hated their seemingly lack of caring. my emotions were all over the place. i knew one thing was for certain though. the devil and god are raging inside me was the greatest record i had ever heard and i latched onto it. it meant so much to me and portrayed so many emotions i could relate to. the odds daisy would do the same were slim, but if it did, i would be astonished. i mean, what are the odds a band could write two near-perfect records?
apparently very slim. this record is not the brilliance that was their last release. in fact, its the first record of theirs i think to ever hold any filler (when your favorite weapon came out, i saw no filler, looking back, my opinion might be different, but this is the first time ive listened to one of their records and said 'that song is a waste'). the production is all over the place, sometimes it sounds brilliant, sometimes it sounds muddled and moodless. the brilliance that was the last record was the production complimented the mood spectacularly.
this record is like kenny powers after he got his pitch back. motherfucker could pitch, but he wasnt as great he was. this record has some great tracks and some great moments, but fails to reach its expectations. early on, they said they were writing this record to be something they would enjoy playing live. i see that completely. you can hear them live when you listen to this record, you know what it looks like, you know how they are acting. and thats excellent. but live brand new isnt studio brand new. the two have completely different charms. and im still not sure if they should be mixed.
the records begin and end on an interesting idea that is riddled in mediocrity. its a great idea, the song fits well, but the transitions are sloppy both at front and back. yeah the front one is made to be startling, but after one listen, the effect is gone. a cleaner transition would just make more sense. but i digress, let us begin:
vices. (4.5/5)
this is a brand new song unlike any other. or its a refused song. it depends on which band you think you're listening to. but the refused were rad and this song is a kick in the teeth. its the most energetic opener theyve had and its definitely one of the best (its tough to rank it ahead of tautou, it may be a tie in my book). i dont usually like screaming in this sense, but it fits well and the lyrics are decent. i would say its the best bass part garrett had put out, except jesse wrote the bass line. only downfalls on this song are the iffy transition from intro to song, and the screaming can get overbearing.
bed. (4.5/5)
one of my favorites on the record after my first listen. you hear the live feel on this song. vin's parts are very clearly defined if you know his playing style, and its a great listen. again, i feel the lyrics are pretty decent, but the biggest flaw of the song comes after the bridge with the line 'i dont ever wanna go to bed,' it just sounds forced. but 'lie to all your friends' is the 2nd most standout phrase on the record
at the bottom. (3.5/5)
the intro to this song is the best part about it. the lyrics are cringe-worthy. 'id serve you drugs on a silver plate' may be the worst this band has ever recorded (or at least tied with 'this isnt highschool') the bridge suffers as well, it trys to be epic and falls on its face. usually what happens with effected drum kits. the lines in the prechorus are exceptional though. i can really relate to 'some men die under the mountain just looking for gold, others die looking for a hand to hold'
gasoline. (4/5)
everyone had a different opinion on this song. some loved the version from neumos, some hated it. and it seems like those people had the exact opposite feelings for the full band version. this version meets my feelings somewhere in the middle. the drums are nowhere near as obnoxious as the early live versions, but mr accardi's screeching guitar parts are not present. the song is solid none the less, and i was excited to hear it on record, i was only mildly disappointed
you stole. (5/5)
best song on the record. by far. the only song on this record that can touch anything on the previous release, the lyrics are poignant and strike a chord, the mood is set excellently, and the musicianship is enough to keep me interested.
be gone. (3/5)
the album is going smoothly to this point, but here it trips and falls. i understand the efforts here but it doesnt work. its a decent idea to add an interlude such as this to an album of this kind, but it is just embarrassing to listen to. they could have done much more with this.
sink. (3/5)
filler. this song is incredibly medio-core. it's a throw-away song. you can sum up the entire sound of the album with this song except for the fact that this song is bland. it feels uninspired and was written on a whim. maybe a backstory could prove this song to be more interesting, but for now, its the worst on the record.
bought a bride. (4/5)
what happened to this song? the phaser in the intro is obnoxious and the production is muddy. why add the effects to the intro if you have never used it live? why not make the two consistant? it sounds bad flat out. and this is another song i prefered the neumos version, much like gasoline, the vocals were much stronger on that version. the screaming doesnt serve this song as well as it does vices.
daisy. (4/5)
drum machines and effected drums sound bad 95% of the time. the only exception i can think of is the no seatbelt song. daisy is no different. and there is nothing more obnoxious in lyrics (to me at least) than making comparisons with just "im a ______" theres so much more to a metaphor or comparison if you are describing a situation instead of flat out laying something out there like this song. the sampling and ambient noise after the first verse is a nice touch, but the voice of the little boy is something that falls flat on its face. the song does pick up with the last line of the 2nd verse and sets the album up to end on a good note.
in a jar. (4.5/5)
this is what sink could have been but isnt. everything comes together for this song, the bassline is great, the lyrics set you up for a good amount of thought, and the sampling break works much better on this song than daisy. one of the highlights of a second half that is in desperate need of a spark.
noro. (4.75/5)
only one thing sets this song back from being the best song on the record. and thats stealing a riff from a song off your own record. when the bass comes in, sound familiar to anyone? its the same riff from untitled! you cant hear so much on the untitled recording but its definitely there, and if you saw it live, that riff was pretty upfront. why? why do you have to do that to an otherwise perfect song? the lyrics are spectacular, the 'im on my way' line is the standout vocal line of this record. and the addition of the unique vocals that echoe them is great(sound as if mr accardi may have jumped in the booth for a first time?). this song is great, but as a closer its hard to rank amongst the others, as its the only non-acoustic. the ending is mildly ubrupt but its nothing to dwell on.
in conclusion.
its nice to see garrett's playing has finally reached the level of the rest of the band, i always felt he failed to make the jump the rest did on the last record. the live feel is a nice touch but the production leaves a muddy feel to a lot of this record. the mood isnt as well defined as the devil and god and it just leaves a little bit to be desired. all in all though, this record was solid. i will agree with a review i read that said this record is their first good...not great...record. the other 3 did so much for my tastes and the genres they fit themselves into. i just dont see daisy doing that.
