• Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Mar 29, 2005
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 24
  2. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. Uncut
    100
    This album really is just too good to be true. [Apr 2005, p.114]
  2. 100
    While their sound is decidedly of the moment (Bloc Party, the Killers, et al), their songs are undeniably catchy as all get-out.
  3. They are not so much copycats as they are skilled apprentices.
  4. Mojo
    80
    This is a swaggering, unashamedly fun pop record. [May 2005, p.94]
  5. The Bravery isn't sonically mind-blowing, but the new millennium new wave revival remains intriguing.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Q Magazine
    80
    If 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]
  9. Urb
    70
    They 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]
  10. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    It's bold, brash, trashy fun that will tempt Killers fans to fall in lust all over again. [19 Mar 2005, p.57]
  11. 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.
  12. Blender
    70
    This is dramatic, radio-loving rock primed to outlive the current I Love The '80s infatuation. [Apr 2005, p.113]
  13. 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.
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    There are countless other bands using electro blips to make us boogie and bang harder. [8 Apr 2005, p.65]
  15. 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."
  16. 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.
  17. Rock made on an assembly line-- predictable, economically efficient, and about as dynamic as a Model T.
  18. Los Angeles Times
    50
    Once 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]
  19. Alternative Press
    40
    Where, 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]
  20. Under The Radar
    40
    We'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]
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 99 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 99
  2. Negative: 19 out of 99
  1. TheyRule
    Apr 17, 2007
    8
    Whoever thinks they sound like The Killers is seriously retarded. The Killers are boring posers who think they are original. This is pure Whoever thinks they sound like The Killers is seriously retarded. The Killers are boring posers who think they are original. This is pure fun. Robert Smith should call Brandon Flowers, that cocky twat. Full Review »
  2. KAndino
    Jan 19, 2007
    8
    Great retro sound!
  3. ameliae
    Nov 21, 2006
    8
    fun, summery dancey album with energy