Album Details

• Artist: Brand New
• Album: Your Favorite Weapon
• Label: Razor & Tie
• Year of Release: 2001
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: kev_stev on 2007-07-05

"This isn't high school, this isn't high school."  Jesse Lacey, lead singer of Brand New, repeats this line numerous times on the fast-paced track "Last Chance to Lose Your Keys," almost as if trying to convince his listeners that Your Favorite Weapon is, in fact, a mature first record.  However, an album filled with songs about drinking, relationships, hostility, and lonesomeness doesn't exactly scream maturity, nor does Brand New's highly popular anthem from the acoustic "Soco Armetto Lime," which states: "you're just jealous cause we're young and in love."  And the pop-punk sing-along style doesn't do too much for the maturity claim either.

It would take an awful lot for an elitist like myself to then take an album like Your Favorite Weapon seriously, but something about it is so endearing and memorable that it refuses to be overlooked.  Your Favorite Weapon contains subtle shifts in dynamics, drawing simple sentiments of anger (70x7) and sadness (Logan to Government Center), while also having stand-out tracks like the haunting, acoustic ballad, "The No Seatbelt Song," which demonstrates the band's potential to elicit powerful feelings with little to no instrumentation. 

However, many of the songs end up sounding interchangeable, revealing that Brand New hasn’t quite found their niche on their first release, but are merely taking steps towards their musical growth and development. Overall, this album has its highs and lows, but mostly is an honest but flawed first release, which gives listeners a glance at Brand New's potential for future albums.

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-02-28 DeathEyesForKiley Said:

I personally thought this album was amazing.
Rating: 10/10

Review:

on 2007-07-25 blackxdan Said:

I agree that this album does leave you thinking that Brand New has a lot of room for potential and growth. Your Favorite Weapon was an amazing release from Brand New, and is still listened to by the masses today. Almost every one of the songs are catchy, and you could listen to this song over and over again. Even though the album didnt have that many hits at all, it was still a decent album for its time. If you listen to future releases by this band, you can see how much Jesse Lacey's voice has matured over the years into what it is now. I think they unleashed their full potential with the next release, but you must learn to crawl before you can walk.
Rating: 7/10

Review:

on 2007-07-06 hstisgod Said:

great review bro.
Rating: 8/10