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Certain Songs #2174: Sebadoh – “Brand New Love”

August 30, 2021 by Jim Connelly

Album: Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock
Year: 1992

. . .

To be honest, I’ve always had a hard time making heads or tails out of anything that Sebadoh did prior to 1994’s Bakesale. In theory, I approve of the prolific, lo-fi approach that Lou Barlow and his partners in crime took towards recording and releasing their music. But like the earliest Guided by Voices records, the chaff-to-wheat ratio was way too high.

Therefore, when I declare that “Brand New Love” is my favorite song from that early period, then please know that I’ve not come close to hearing all of the dozens of songs Lou Barlow released in that period. Especially since I came to it second-hand: I first heard “Brand New Love” via the cover which closed out Superchunk’s utterly dynamite early singles compilation, Tossing Seeds (which has at least three future Certain songs: the glorious “Garlic,” the hilarious “Slack Motherfucker” and their cover of the ubiquitous “Train From Kansas City.”

But we’ll get to Superchunk next year, hopefully.

In any event, “Brand New Love” was actually one of Lou Barlow’s earliest songs — noted meanie J. Mascis wrote all of the songs on the three 1980s Dinosaur Jr albums Barlow was on — having originally written and recorded in 1986. This version, however, comes from 1992, a re-recording for an EP called Sebadoh vs. Helmet that was part of their first Sub Pop release, called Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock. Whew!!

“Brand New Love” starts slowly, with a quietly pretty jangly guitar underneath Barlow as he sings the opening verse.

Restless eyes close, maybe it’ll go away
Please rest tomorrow, bring a satisfying day
The restless urge of love that’s worth the burning for
Surely it’s that one comforting love to give you more

Then with a build, a big drum roll and a scream, quietly pretty noise-rock guitars announce and burst all around the utterly gorgeous chorus.

Any thought could be the beginning of
The brand new tangled web you’re spinning
Anyone could be a brand new love
Any tie that holds can be broken
Tear your bitter world to the open
Anyone could be a brand new love

The coolest part about that chorus is that it’s either vocals or guitars doing a “ooooooooooh” underneath Barlow’s lead, and it’s kind of cool that we’re not sure. Also: I prefer to think that “anyone could be a brand new love” is an expression of optimism, not cynicism, and I think I even thought that as a cynical 1992 indie-rocker.

In the end, because it’s an early-90s indie song, “Brand New Love” fades out in a hail of noise and feedback, having never once even picked up from its dirge-like tempo.

“Brand New Love”

“Brand New Love” live in Germany, 1995

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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Brand New Love, Sebadoh, Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock

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Previously on Medialoper

  • Certain Songs #2541: Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much”
  • Certain Songs #2540: Sufjan Stevens – “Djohariah”
  • Certain Songs #2539: Sufjan Stevens – “Heirloom”
  • Certain Songs #2538: Sufjan Stevens – “Casimir Pulaski Day”
  • Certain Songs #2537: Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago”

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