A lot of music critiques (myself included) are starting to smell the stale end of Emo. The best of this lot will rise to the top and survive. Bands that can also be categorized as rock n Roll. (Which I predict will be the next big musical craze). Though a year or so ago Brand New probably wouldn't have minded being pigeon-holed in the same general area as Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182. These days, however, even the most Emo of Emo bands are going out of their way to avoid being categorized in this fast-fading fad. Though it's still a bit early to consider it a stigma on par with being pegged as grunge in '97, Emo is beginning to slowly carry that kiss-of-death taint. I guess the reason Emo is being shown the exit before it even had a chance to order a drink is because, in truth, it's a kind of music that's been around a long time. The Ramones could be considered an Emo band, just as easily as say The Replacements and (of course) Green Day.

For the sake of argument we'll call Brand New a pop-punk band, and with their second record they've more than proven they've got the goods to morph into whatever genre name might come along next. Deja Entendu is a wonderfully diverse collection of strong material. If the band aspires to any comparison it would certainly be with the Smiths. Frontman Jesse Lacy croons these tunes like an American Morrissey, and the band goes out of their way to find novel textures that allow Lacey to go off. Even though there are a handful of tunes that are tailor made with hooks that recall many of the better Emo-friendly radio hits, much of the album avoids any such cliches that would leave them mired in the Quicksand of Emo-hood. If anything they rip themselves off—the album's best track "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows," is nothing if not a retooling of their hit from their first album "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad."

All things being equal, this is a great record that will find a respectable spot on my best-of for the year.