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The long-awaited follow-up to 2003’s genre-defining Deja Entendu sounds, to put it bluntly, nothing like Brand New. Not that this is a bad thing. Fans of the formerly pop-punk band will find, in place of upbeat irony, a dark honesty that delves beyond the more surface elements of broken relationships.

The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Brand New’s third album, showcases a set of songs that runs a much more developed, intense gamut of moods. Ranging from the mellow warbling of ballads such as “Jesus Christ” to the more driving, punk-infused sound of “Archers,” the album proves that Brand New is much more versatile than its fellow emo counterparts.

Musically, The Devil is an impressive effort, with guitar riffs and steady drumming that compliment frontman Jesse Lacey’s simple, though oft-howling voice. The major difference between The Devil and Deja Entendu, or the earlier Your Favorite Weapon, however, is the way in which the instruments and Lacey’s voice balance with one another to establish an effective dynamic.

In its earlier albums, Brand New maintained a relatively consistent level of melodies and hooks, loud and angsty in nature. In The Devil, however, the softer parts of each song, as in the eerie “Luca,” or standout “Handcuffs,” do not seem too calculated or intended only to offset Lacey’s intense, though articulate, yowling.

Brilliant lyrics aside, an element The Devil is unable to retain from past albums is cohesiveness. Each song is polished well and finessed – they should be, after an excruciating three years – but music fans should listen to The Devil with a wary ear, and judge the album knowing that it stands alone and apart from Brand New’s other works.

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