BRAND NEW Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Lying dormant for eight years has evidently provided Brand New with enough reinvigoration to return guns blazing on this powerful and engulfing record. From the haunting samples that open the album in 'Lit Me Up', through to the resonating feedback and field recordings on the tail end of closer 'Batter Up', 'Science Fiction' follows a brooding path through contrasting passages of loud and quiet, confessional introspection and frustrated aggression. The band's well tempered control makes the more surprising moments, such as the bluesy desert rock of '451' and the pared back folk of 'Could Never Be Heaven' fit in seamlessly, making this an impressive, engaging and well-rounded return to form.