The Brave And The Bold
by Tortoise & Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. Drowned In Sound
    90
    At times they near the hybrid jazz of The Mars Volta or even the plentiful jam bands that can be found on the boulevards of certain Eastern European shores, but Tortoise's effortless ingenuity and Prince Billy's sensuous and aged voice raise it to a much higher plane.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Intriguing. [27 Jan 2006, p.85]
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  3. The A.V. Club
    83
    The Brave And The Bold is one odd duck of an album, with two unsympathetic musical personalities paying tribute to 10 other unsympathetic musical personalities by making a record that doesn't sound at all... expected.
  5. PopMatters
    80
    The Brave and the Bold is a melding of the minds, a comic-book collision of musical forces whose mutant powers turn mere simulation into disturbing mimetic magic.
  6. Uncut
    80
    There's more here for Oldham fans than Tortoise fanciers. [Feb 2006, p.76]
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  7. The Guardian
    80
    There are enough moments of complex, nuanced, lingering beauty here to keep drawing you back.
  8. Mojo
    80
    More than a curiosity. [Jan 2006, p.131]
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  9. Filter
    78
    It's high entertainment of a sedate rock order, even if nothing is particularly brave or bold here. [#19, p.97]
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  10. Dusted Magazine
    70
    The experiment does at times rush off the tracks into the bushes, where either the spastic tempos prove too much for Oldham's cool croon, or the meat-and-potatoes song structures reject Tortoise's occasional proclivity toward overseasoning.
  11. Paste Magazine
    70
    Like an indie-rock version of Dylan & The Dead--only surprisingly inspired instead of barely palatable. [Apr/May 2006, p.110]
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  12. Prefix Magazine
    70
    This is a solid listen regardless of whether or not it's breaking any new ground.
  13. Under The Radar
    70
    Surely, fans of both Oldham and Tortoise will find little to complain about... but there's also enough material here to coax a few more over the fence. [#12, p.93]
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  14. cokemachineglow
    67
    The Brave and the Bold is an awkward, lumbering affair, of passing interest to fans of the artists’ work and no one else.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. FValeron
    Apr 27, 2006
    4
    Do not ignore Chris M. my friends. I'm a huge Oldham fan, but this record is nonsense. 'Tis a shame...
  2. EstanislaoB
    Apr 11, 2006
    9
    Es un album excelente, en el que se ve la perfecta unión entre dos grupos, que se multiplican hasta el infinito. Y además la Es un album excelente, en el que se ve la perfecta unión entre dos grupos, que se multiplican hasta el infinito. Y además la seleccion de canciones es muy buena. Well done… Full Review »
  3. LeonardoF
    Feb 8, 2006
    8
    i would give this 7.5. there are some pretty good covers (daniel, love is love, cravo e canela, thunder road) but there are also some lousy i would give this 7.5. there are some pretty good covers (daniel, love is love, cravo e canela, thunder road) but there are also some lousy songs too.… Full Review »
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