Why Brand New’s ‘Deja Entendu’ is a Legendary Album

Brand New is a rock band that formed in 2000 on Long Island. Their first album was released in 2001 and titled Your Favorite Weapon, and it was a hell of a way to start off. With great upbeat hits that’ll remind you of 90’s punk and then slow tunes that sound more like journal entries than songs, it was a hard album to top. But two years later, they proved their sincere talent with the album that forever changed the pop punk scene–Deja Entendu. If you’re a fan of pop punk, this title probably sounds familiar. It’s responsible for inspiring one of Panic! At the Disco’s most hyped, provocative songs “Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off,” and frontman Brendon Urie says it’s his version of Brand New’s famous “Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades.” Also, it’s even mentioned in a song–“Boston,” by the relatively new but rising band Moose Blood, with the line “bored with nothing to do, laying around listening to Deja Entendu…” And lastly although it has a specific rock/punk sound, it reached #3 on U.S. Billboard’s Vinyl Albums just last year. The passion and stimulation for this album still lives on over ten years later for a clear reason–it’s a lyrical masterpiece.

The only way to understand this album’s significance is to simply listen to it. Put good quality earphones in, turn the volume three quarters of the way up, and have someone drive you around. Look out the window and listen closely to the words being sung and the instruments being played and the concept being displayed. This isn’t an album you listen to with one earphone in while having a conversation with your friend–you step into a new world when you listen, and you stay there, in its little bubble, until you click pause and suddenly you’re where you used to be.

What truly contributes to this album's long-lasting praise is its admired and consistent use of literary devices in its lyrics. There are various concepts being displayed throughout this album, and the way the concepts are worded keeps you engaged. Each song has a different storyline you need to dig deep into to find out the meaning of all the words about emotions and actions. While the music always fits the mood and helps create the perfect atmosphere to catch your attention and keep you captivated–without the lyrics, there would be no story to be pulled into. It has metaphors that help you understand the idea being shown using bewitching symbolism, including, “you are the smell before rain, you are the blood in my veins,” and “he is the lamb, she is the slaughter. She’s moving way too fast and all he wanted was to hold her.” It also has similes that add to the haunting, melancholic ideas, such as, “I’m sinking like a stone in the sea, I’m burning like a bridge for your body.” The alliteration won’t pass you, but it will satisfy your ears, with memorable lines like, “wasting words on lowercases and capitals,” “the time has come for colds and overcoats,” and “lie for fun and fake the way I hold you…” Plus, the contrasts being made become more noticeable with the use of paradoxes, like, “hope you find out what you are; already know what I am,” and “it hurts to hold on, but it’s missed when it’s gone.”

Besides the skillful use of literary devices, the lyrics are impressive when it comes to Jesse Lacey’s play on words. With lines like, “if I could I would shrink myself, and sink through your skin to your blood cells, and remove whatever makes you hurt, but I am too weak to be your cure,” and “if looks can really kill, then my profession would be staring,” you can imagine these songs as just simple poetry. Without all the dramatic, mood-setting music and intense vocals, the words are enough to prove Lacey’s grace and strength when it comes to telling a story and playing with your emotions. He proves he doesn’t need all these devices to write deep, gloomy poetry, especially with lines with pure raw meaning, like, “every line is about who I don’t want to write about anymore,” and “if it makes you less sad, we’ll start talking again. You can tell me how vile I already know that I am…” Whether he’s using multiple literary devices or just using raw meaning, Lacey won’t fail to keep you interested and listening.

If you ask a Brand New fan what’s so good about this album, I can’t pinpoint what they would say. However, if you asked me, I would tell you about the emotional connection I feel when I get pulled into the world Lacey creates with his both artistic and explicit methods of telling stories. Nothing can beat a strong emotional connection, and I’ve never felt a stronger one with any other album.