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If you’ve heard one song by The Bravery you’ve pretty much heard them all. The keyboard settings may change, as do the guitar FX pedals, but there’s a formula at work here and how much you get out of this record depends entirely on how interesting you find that formula.
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It’s music so frothy and unsubstantial that you could practically meditate to it: listen to it often enough, and it just kind of floats away, even if you’re blasting it at full volume.
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Rock made on an assembly line-- predictable, economically efficient, and about as dynamic as a Model T.
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The Bravery isn't sonically mind-blowing, but the new millennium new wave revival remains intriguing.
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They don't sound too new, but their shuddering pop melodies and knack for smiling through gritted teeth might just make the Bravery the nation's favourite new band.
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The Bravery do a jockier version of the New Wave competition, pumping the drums in straight-ahead tunes such as "An Honest Mistake" and "The Ring Song."
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While their sound is decidedly of the moment (Bloc Party, the Killers, et al), their songs are undeniably catchy as all get-out.
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Completely forgettable.
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The Bravery treads the same well worn path as bands like The Smiths and The Cure but manages to avoid tripping on its roots by adding a unique personality.
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While the Bravery are certainly not in league with the Strokes, Interpol, or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this record is a strong one with some unexpected surprises.
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By the end of this brief guilty pleasure, the verdict rings clear: The Killers may have made better singles, but The Bravery made the better album.
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Endicott, who jumps skin from Julian Casablancas to Robert Smith to the guy from the Killers in just three tracks, has less charisma than a mustard plug.
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[A] rather dreary pastiche.
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New Musical Express (NME)It's bold, brash, trashy fun that will tempt Killers fans to fall in lust all over again. [19 Mar 2005, p.57]
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Under The RadarWe're reaching critical mass for new wave nostalgia, but we might have made room for your debut if there was something we could dance to. [#10, p.109]
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They are not so much copycats as they are skilled apprentices.
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Los Angeles TimesOnce you get past the surface attractions, Sam Endicott's arch singing and rock-rebel posturing are forced, and his production is as stiff as the mechanical discoid rhythms. [24 Apr 2005]
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UncutThis album really is just too good to be true. [Apr 2005, p.114]
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MojoThis is a swaggering, unashamedly fun pop record. [May 2005, p.94]
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Q MagazineIf The Killers hadn't got there first with Hot Fuss, The Bravery's debut would have been revolutionary. Instead it is merely a brilliant pop record. [Apr 2005, p.115]
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BlenderThis is dramatic, radio-loving rock primed to outlive the current I Love The '80s infatuation. [Apr 2005, p.113]
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UrbThey definitely know their way around the early Duran catalog, not forgetting the requisite stops at New Order and the Psychedelic Furs. [Apr 2005, p.101]
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Alternative PressWhere, say, Franz Ferdinand can fill dance floors with a jagged, arty sense of danger, the Bravery are more vanilla in their approach (read: They're Duran Duran). [May 2005, p.132]
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Entertainment WeeklyThere are countless other bands using electro blips to make us boogie and bang harder. [8 Apr 2005, p.65]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 70 out of 99
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Mixed: 10 out of 99
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Negative: 19 out of 99
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TheyRuleApr 17, 2007
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KAndinoJan 19, 2007Great retro sound!
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ameliaeNov 21, 2006fun, summery dancey album with energy