by Lauren Rosier
Music for me has always been my outlet. I could listen to a song – the music, the lyrics, the vocals – and relate to what the message was. Many, many bands and solo artists have influenced me to this day and have had an impact on my life, but nothing like how Brand New’s Deja Entendu has.
Deja Entendu was released in June 2003, the summer before my senior year in high school, but it wasn’t until later on in 2004 that I became obsessed with hardcore, screamo, and emo music. The first song I heard from the record was “Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades” and it stuck with me immediately.
I’m not sure if it was the emotion in the song or how it painted such a picture in my mind, but it was definitely one of the songs that changed my life. It helped my passion for that genre of music, and music in general, grow and expand.
“Okay, I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t” is still, to this day, one of the more popular songs off the record and definitely one of my favorites. You can hear the opening notes of the song and immediately recognize it to be Brand New. I’ve always thought that Jesse Lacey had one of the more easily recognizable voices in the scene. His voice was one that you feel the emotion exuding as he sang each note and lyric.
Mellower tracks like “The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot” and “Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis” showed off how vulnerable and real the quartet could be with an emo song.
The last track on the record, “Play Crack The Sky,” was one of those songs that I discovered late in the game, but is absolutely one of my favorite songs of all-time. The gentleness of the guitar strumming and the emotion in Jesse’s voice created such an iconic, sing along song that showcases the true talent and the epitome of what Brand New is.
This has always been one of the very select few albums that I can still, to this day, listen to the whole way through without skipping a song. From the realistic, emotional takes on relationships, friendships, and basically anything in life, it’s definitely one of the few albums I can come back to time and time again that doesn’t miss a beat.
