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Stir The Blood - The Bravery
User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9

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  1. OriginalMe
    May 30, 2012
    9
    Leave your nostalgia goggles at the door, and you will have a good time with this album. People always seem to compare The Bravery to other bands in lower scoring reviews, and I say this: Who cares? This album sounds much more refined than their previous work, and retains the catchy arrangements from their first album. The only difference here, is that it's harder to dance to, because that's what happens when your sources of inspiration for an album are the Joy Division and Depeche Mode. It's darker music, especially Hatef--k and Jack O' Lantern Man, however, overall the songs are not too much darker, but the style of this album is not the same kind of dance music their first album was so successful at being. Another fun fact is that among the circles of fans for The Bravery, is that Stir The Blood is generally considered to be their best work. Something to think about if this kind of music really gets you. The bottom line is that while I absolutely love this album, if you aren't into this kind of music, Stir the Blood is not going to help you appreciate it more. That being said, if you like this style of music, you would be missing out if you didn't get this album.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. Boston Globe
    80
    The Bravery's adrenaline-rush, retro-new-wave/punk rock is back with a flourish. The album is a sonic high, but a mixed bag of lyrical ups and downs.
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Singer Sam Endicott's far more empathetic now that there's a reason behind all that rage.
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  3. Pitchfork
    23
    Someone clinically extracts whatever trace of messy humanity made it through the first time the Bravery worked the nu-wave shtick, on their debut; Stir the Blood is a parodoxically bloodless listen.
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