I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. It occurs to me that when I said last week that I think about music a lot, I may not have gotten across how huge a music nerd I am. There's actually little I like more than talking about and sharing music, and with that in mind, I'm sharing with you one of my favourite theories of all time: the 20 per cent Rule of Record Greatness. Conceived by my oldest friend nearly four years ago (details at Lhttp://bit.ly/3wuwYa), the basic premise of this theory is that no matter how much you like an album, there are still a couple of songs that you skip - roughly 20 per cent of the record - that you might cut in order to make the album that much better (if only to you).

This quickly and permanently became my favourite way to review and share records with friends, and with that in mind I prepared the following for you. Like all else, it is a LOL (that means labour of love, right?).

Brand New
Daisy
Released September 22, 2009.

If you use the Internet to look up music in any way, you've likely been inundated lately with banner ads and spot applets promoting the latest release by Brand New. Rest assured, though, there's a good reason: Daisy is an explosive disc, brilliant in concept and execution. This one is going to make a lot of people's ‘Best of 2009' lists in a couple months, all the more reason to pay attention right now.

If you're unfamiliar with Brand New, you're unaware that this band from Long Island got their start when guitarist/singer Jesse Lacey ditched playing bass in Taking Back Sunday to form his own outfit with friends. Sunday weren't terribly pleased about this, and began hacking at Lacey and his new band in their lyrics, which began a lyric war between the two bands that lasted for a few records.

Brand New got the last laugh, though, garnering more attention, acclaim, and adoration with each subsequent release. One by one, each disc has flawlessly blended biting, insightful lyrics with powerful, compelling music, affirming the band a place high above their contemporaries.

And Daisy is no exception; the album opens with Vices, a short tune both gritty and atonal. That pure raw energy flows into the delicate Bed, wherein a simple haunting refrain hides a confession in a fight. With At The Bottom, the record begins a lumbering, swaggering, crashing trifecta of songs that tear you down (Gasoline) and build you back up (You Stole).

By the time you get to brilliant entries like Sink, Daisy, and Noro, you'll undoubtedly have been blown away by the album a few times over. On first listen, this record is impossible to predict, and though it will catch you off guard several times, the subtle hooks and addictive lyrics will draw you in again and again.

Top five songs: At The Bottom, Sink, Noro, You Stole, Bought A Bride.

Twenty per cent that I would cut (two songs): Be Gone, In A Jar.

For more info on the band check out fightoffyourdemons.com or myspace.com/brandnew. I'm out of words.