Brand New - Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me - Music & Performance - CD

With The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, New York state's Brand New continue their remarkable evolution from pop-punksters to indie rock trendsetters. Few bands morph so smoothly and so convincingly as this quartet has over the course of just three albums. And it isn't just cosmetic change: the 12 tracks here are very solid stuff, reflecting both creativity and conviction. Little wonder, then, that this is also the band's most successful album to date.

You can take a hint from the title that there's depth to the subject matter. Singer/guitarist Jesse Lacey's lyrics range from reflective to dark-water deep: he isn't afraid to go the full distance on the emo route. As he sings on "Jesus:" "Well Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die/ I'm a little bit scared of what comes after/ Do I get the gold chariot?/ Do I float through the ceiling?" Meanwhile, the music is light alt-rock and a shade trippy. As the song progresses and things get more intense, so do his vocals.

A key trait of the band on this disc is to alternate between light sonics and explosions of sound. The guys use this pattern over and over, accentuating the emotional highs and lows of their compositions. Take a listen to "Degausser." It opens gently with dreamy vocals barely more than breathed out by Lacey. But less than two minutes in, a wave of sound crashes, before the song reverts to its former self. Likewise, the "superpower" ballad "Limousine (MS Rebridge)" actually begins in a state of somnolence before the hard fuzz chords hit.

A standout track is "You Won't Know," which has an irresistible Brit sound. It's another cut that follows the quiet-loud pattern but there's a definite trans-Atlantic feel, with a distinct channeling of the Cure. The closer, "Handcuffs," is a plaintive ballad that builds to a minor crescendo before fading again to tainted prettiness.

Brand New formed in 2000 and released the first of their three discs to date in 2003. So, despite their name, they're hardly newcomers. Nevertheless, the profound transformation they've gone through, and the sheer quality of The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me suggest that they're on the cusp of a true coming of age and a greater presence on the music scene.