Brand New - 3 Demos, Reworked

Featuring re-recorded and demo versions of "Brother's Song," "Missing You," and "1996"

After 16 years spent crafting some of the most interesting and thematically deep pop and post-punk records of the new millennium, Brand New are ready to close up shop and go their separate ways.

A final full-length is due to eventually surface, but in the interim the band has busied itself with taking stock of its past. Most recently, that includes the surprise release of 3 Demos, Reworked.

As the title suggests, the six-track effort features three re-recorded versions of "Brother's Song," "Missing You," and "1996" — songs that had been officially released in January on the collection Leaked Demos 2006. The demos make up the B-sides of the 10" vinyl.

"The set features demos originally released as B-sides on Leaked Demos‘ vinyl release, as well as newly recorded versions of those tracks. Two of those reworked tracks, 'Missing You' and '1996,' sound like close counterparts to the original demos. 'Missing You' is a rousing fit of guitar rock, complete with an Oasis-inspired breakdown (think 'Semisonic'), while Lacey busies himself with macabre visions of Van Gogh hacking off his ear. The demo's synthpop intro breaks up the two versions, but not much else. The band doubles down on its British influences on '1996,' a track with deliberate New Order and Smiths influences. Moody but sweet, Lacey even adopts Morrissey's legendary croon, as well as his penchant for wry humor. 'She was just 17,' he sings. 'Pious and petty with a deadly disease, and the weight of the world on her prosthetic shoulder.' Not bad.

In the end, 3 Demos, Reworked could use some more of that contrast to allow each of the six tracks to stand up more on their own. But these are good songs, and they might be all fans will have to subsist on until the band's inevitable swan song is finally delivered." — Consequence of Sound

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