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It’s been hard to pin down The Bravery since their debut album in 2005. They’ve gone through various stages—from electronic to retro to contemporary rock. Luckily, they seem to have finally found themselves in their latest CD, Stir the Blood.
If you’re hoping for music similar to their hit, “Believe,” from the 2007 album, The Sun and the Moon, forget about it. This isn’t even close, but it’s oh, so much better. Rhythmically, you might think you’ve been hauled back into the ‘80s, but you won’t be so sure after a while. Heavy electronics accompanying the guitars and the energetic beat brings us back to the British post-punk scene. In fact, the opening cut, “Adored,” is new wave that belts out high-energy guitar and vocals. This is the longest song of the album, at 3:41. Pure party music. When you first hear “Song for Jacob” and “I Am You Skin,” you may even swear for a moment that you’re listening to The Cure. “She’s So Bendable” deviates from the mix, as it is reminiscent of the early British rock of the ‘60s—a simple melody with muffled guitar lines and a steady beat.
However, these New Yorkers are in no time warp. The no-holds-barred lyrics bring us home into the 21st century with many rather dark themes that fall just this side of perverse. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sam Endicott mentions that he often wrote about rage and violence, but he never put it into his music, “… like it was something I preferred to pretend didn’t exist. But more and more it was bubbling to the surface.” The attempted suicide of a long-time girlfriend deeply affected him, and the anger transferred to his music. I have to admit that two of these cuts, “Hatef**k” and “Jack-O-Lantern Man,” are among my favorites. However, he states that he wrote more intimate songs than in the past, and they’re also reflected in this album.
Other than “Adored,” the rest of the eleven songs clock in between 2 and 3 1/2 minutes. The only less than memorable song for me is the closing cut, “Sugar Pill”—slow, steady, and somewhat too familiar.
It doesn’t matter, though. The rest of the CD more than makes up for it. Energetic, edgy, and (for those of you who care) definitely danceable, Stir the Blood is one you’ll keep playing over and over again.
