SHREDnews

The Bravery was formed in the late 90s by college classmates Sam Endicott and John Conway. The duo began playing together and after some band member changes, The Bravery was born! The band comes from New York City, and got their start playing many local shows in the Brooklyn area. This post-punk revival band released Stir The Blood, their newest album, on December 1^st, 2009.

Is it irony that I adored the opening track “Adored”? The song draws you write in from the beginning, and the catchiness is bound to be running through anyone’s head for the whole day. The song is full of energy and starts the album off on not just a good note, but an amazing one. The Bravery continues to remain true to the sound they are all known for with “Song For Jacob”. It almost sounds like a song you’d hear in a fighting game. The song is another brilliantly written and recorded song. Not only is it catchy, but it’s got meaningful lyrics going for it too. It’s the perfect track.

The vocals for “I Am Your Sin” are chilling. Again, the sound of the band has not changed, but has remained just as great as their previous albums, and this song proves that. That’s not the only song that shows off the record, because “The Spectator” helps out with that as well.  What is so admirable about The Bravery is that the lyrics are never predictable, and all the songs are always so well written, and this song is a great example of just that.

The beginning of “I Have Seen The Future” reels you in right away with the catchy beginning. It keeps getting better, as the whole song is fun and interesting to listen to. The vocals never fail to amaze me on this record, and even with the highly synthesized sounds, the band still stands out from other synthesized bands.  The Bravery has always had their own sound that has separated them from other bands. If I were to hear their songs anywhere, I would immediately recognize that it was them. I was surprised that my least favorite track on the album was the closing song. “sugarpill” didn’t seem to really stand out much to me. It was a little disappointing for an ending, but all the songs before it, definitely make up for it. Long time fans of The Bravery should definitely like this album, because it’s just as great as the others, and if you are not a current fan of The Bravery, Stir The Blood will change all that, so you do yourself a favor, and go get a copy.
For Fans Of: Hot Hot Heat, The Cinematics, We Are Scientists

Recommended Tracks: I Am Your Sin, Adored, I Have Seen The Future

Overall Rating (Out Of Ten): 8