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The Sun And The Moon

EMAILPRINTby The Bravery

The Bravery reviews
62
8.4 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 13 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 33 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Island

Release Date: 22 May 2007

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Alternative, Rock

Summary

Brendan O'Brien produced this second album for the New York band.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Boston Globe

This easily ranks among the top rock records of the year.

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83

Entertainment Weekly

Too sappy for the cool kids, sure, but still a fine pop record.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club)

The Sun And The Moon might be as essential as another Kajagoogoo album, but on its own modest terms—meaning appealing to those who guiltily loved The Bravery—it's a minor success, brimming with hooks nicked from Duran Duran and Naked Eyes, as well as few of their own.

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70

Billboard

The overall mood is a bit more pensive and solemn. [26 May 2007]

70

NOW Magazine

By no means a terrifically unique or fantastic sophomore album, it still manages to avoid mediocrity, and not just because our expectations were so low to begin with.

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70

The New York Times

The Bravery is a pop-rock band and glad of it. That means plenty of nonsense syllables to invite singalongs, and utter shamelessness about borrowing other bands’ sounds and tricks.

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70

Blender

[An] album of sharply assembled rock & roll. [Jun 2007, p.105]

60

Dot Music

The Sun And The Moon", The Bravery's down-to-earth approach ought win them a second chance.

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60

PopMatters

The group’s first album had hooks in abundance, and they are only slightly less plentiful here. These hooks are the source of the pleasure, while Endicott’s sometimes questionable lyrics give us our feelings of guilt for being drawn in, in spite of ourselves.

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50

All Music Guide

The Bravery are an easy target -- after all, they were often seen as also-rans even when their kind of music was the hot new thing -- but, unfortunately, The Sun and the Moon's hesitant, unfocused feel doesn't do much to dissuade that notion.

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50

Rolling Stone

They get halfway to a hot neo-New Wave record. [14 Jun 2007, p.102]

40

Spin

Zoom in on this overproduced second album, dripping with newly emboldened lyrical pretensions, and you'll find cracks in the enjoyable cliches. [Jun 2007, p.91]

18

Pitchfork

As annoying as Endicott's mascara-tainted bellyaching was on the Bravery's debut, his histrionics-for-the-masses commandeer the group's stylistic direction on The Sun and the Moon, cheapening already trite regurgitations of Robert Smith confessionals by bloating them to anthemic proportions.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 33 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Amurabi M. gave it a4:
What is this? A collection of pop songs without a minimal sign of authenticity? A mix of overproduced songs with ridiculous lyrics and poor musical development? An album that tries to be the next step from an act that is just a bad copy from the 80s new wave bands? The Bravery released an album that it feels mediocre. It´s a shame for Brendan O´Brien, but this is not his fault. The sin is over the band´s shoulders. This is just an exercise of bad rhymes, few original melodies, tired vocals (it feels that he tries too hard to be Robert Smith) and really ludicrous and annoying lyrics. It seems to me that they lose the battle between all the other bands form its caliber. And that´s not a great battle to fight.

Stirling NC gave it a10:
I really don't understand the low metascore, the best album ever released.

Heather C. gave it a9:
Ok, stop with your hating. I am sure that if the Bravery came out before the Killers, we would all be hating the Killers. These boys are creative. Sure I could go without "Every Word In Your Mouth" (worst song off the album and the only reason why I'm not giving it a 10) but it is so... great. A departure of the computer made stuff. Smart boys and really worth it. But they have evolved... and for the better.

Natalie P gave it a10:
Easily my favorite album of the year. The synths from the first album are still present, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the more vocal feel of this album. Endicott continues to shine, and the guitars were phenomenal.

Dino M gave it a7:
I came across The Bravery while watching The Edge Video Podcast, which is available free on iTunes. Their video for "Time Won't Let Me Go" instantly drew me in with its catchy hook and indie vibe. After getting the album based on that one video, I am surprisingly impressed. "Believe" is a great album opener and single, and a sign of things to come on the album. "This Is Not The End" is my personal favourite, with hints of reggae making it a flowing song. The rest of the album doesn't live up to the previously mentioned songs, but is definitely listenable, from beginning to end. Not a bad song on this album, and I am very grateful for albums like this. Even the import bonus tracks "Rat In The Walls" and "Faces" fit perfectly at the end! I will definitely get the debut album and look to them in the future.

Lauren C gave it a10:
I don't understand the low metascore- this album was a great follow-up. Their sound has changed a bit, but you definitely still get that warm feeling inside after hearing one of their songs. Great, great album. Go listen to it!

Derrik R gave it a10:
Easily a good cd! the bravery nailed it with split me wide open and bad sun

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