Customer Reviews

Stir The Blood

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is The Bravery on a darker path. They've returned to a sound similar to that of their debut, The Bravery and they do so with finesse and I might add that it's synthier than the debut.

I'm going to go backwards here:
Sugar Pill: It's a probably the slowest song on the cd, but I enjoy it. It casts a dream like trance, as if you're NOT taking sugar pills. A dark lullaby entrancing and soothing.

Jack-O'-Lantern Man - A seriously strong song. I dig the synth and bass action on it -- as well as the ever present and enjoyable keyboards with a sweet guitar solo. Sam sings in his signature style.

Red Hands White Knuckles - This track reminds me of She Wants Revenge meets The Bravery. There's a metronome beat to it, as SWR would have, mashed up with our band here, The Bravery. I take it that it's a song about a guy trying to hold on to someone. :) I enjoy the use a child's xylophone in it.

I Have Seen the Future - Pure dance club fun from the land of Soma. Future disco, if you don't dance to this, you may want to see a doctor.

The Spectator - A slower song, but not a slow song. I think it's about a person who has only been a spectator in life and has never really participated in it. It's a deep track and it gets stuck in your head. It's kind of sad but to many people (at times myself included) it's truly how life can feel.

She's So Bendable - Probably my least favorite song in this collection and not so much because it wasn't sung by the lead. It just doesn't click for me. I'm sure the title gives you enough to work on a meaning for it. It's slow, it's a bass heavy track... I'm sure there's an audience out there for it.

I Am Your Skin - This song takes off and it's meaning is as it's titled.

Hatef--k - One of the catchiest songs in this collection. It's sang in and played in the manner as which it's meant. Aggressive, cold, dark, carnally. I almost feel guilty for loving the song!

Slow Poison - As Sam mentioned in their podcast, it's about being away from someone beloved and how it feels to be separated for so long. Sweet song.

Song for Jacob - "I don't ever want to sleep again, I wanna live till I die" I used to feel this way. "There's more inside of me than skin and bones" I think we all feel this way at times when people or society fail to appreciate us for who we are in our entirety. I love the song, it harks back to the debut in tempo and lyrically. It's a wonderful track! "This is a day that is brighter than bombs".

Adored - Let the electro begin! It's an upbeat bright song, 'we are born to be adored'. Indeed we are. It's a proper beginning to this collection.

If you were a fan of The Bravery's debut, you should enjoy this cd. It's a return the synthier, less commercially attainable Bravery. If you liked both the debut and Sun and Moon, you should like this as well. I think it's a win win in that way.

I gave The Bravery's last album a poor review (see my Amazon review). So I'm not a huge Bravery fan, but I have to say this album is really good. I am a big New Order, D-Mode, and Cure Fan...If you like either of these groups and want to hear something new give this album a couple listens. This album has more synth sounds and new order/cure type tones to it.....No real comparison to their last album..Much Better!!

New York-based the Bravery pretty much came out of nowhere with their 2005 self-titled debut album (containing the instant classic "An Honest Mistake"). However, the 2007 follow-up album "The Sun and the Moon" was a very uneven affair that ultimately disappointed. Now comes the band's third album.

"Stir the Blood" (11 tracks; 36 min.) kicks off with a rousing "Adored", followed by an equally energetic "Song for Jacob" and it immediately feels as if the band has returned to its roots and that this album is the true follow-up release to the debut album. First single "Slow Poison" is actually not one of the strongest tracks on here. The middle section of the album consists of a threesome of more quiet, reflective tunes, consisting of "I Am Your Skin", "She's So Bendable", and "The Spectator". After that, it's back to the up-tempo, danceable tunes, and frankly the latter part of the album is the strongest: "I Have Seen the Future", "Red Hands and White Knuckles" and "Jack-O'-Lantern Man" are THE stand-out songs on here, one better than the other. "Sugar Pill" closes out the album with a dark and brooding sense. In all, this album is clearly much better than "The Sun and The Moon" and as such a nice return to form, and at 36 min. it clips by in no time and you'll find yourself playing this again and again.

That said, I found the timing of this release (early December, 2009) very curious and unfortunate as it was lost in the post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas holiday shuffle, and way too late in the year to get any proper consideration for the year's best-of lists (I just now had a chance to really listen to it; it would've made my top 30 of 2009 but of course it's too late for that now). I've seen the Bravery in concert before and can only hope to have an opportunity to see these guys again (are you reading this, Coachella organizers?).

The Bravery have had an interesting chronology since their first full release in March of 2005. Their first album was filled with synthesizer driven 80s rock with a modern twist. Clear influences of New Order and Duran Duran gave them an early fan base in New York and a quick following worldwide. Three years later, The Bravery followed in the footsteps of another new wave revival band, The Killers, and took the band in a somewhat new direction with their second CD, The Sun and the Moon. Although the singles "Believe" and "Time Won't Let Me Go" earned a great deal of radio play, the album as a whole suffered from a lack of direction. The upbeat and danceable tunes of the first album were gone and The Bravery seemed unable to choose a new formula for their sound.

With Stir the Blood, The Bravery have returned to form and have given many of their fans what they were expecting from their second album. The lead single, "Slow Poision," and "Song for Jacob" bring back the prominent snare and soaring keyboard fills that were essential to their early sound. For fans of their second album's rock influences, "Hatef--K" and "Jack-O'-Lantern Man" provide some carry over from The Bravery's sophomore release while adding some aspects from their rediscovered formula which make them a brilliant compromise of styles and perhaps a glimpse at the future of The Bravery.

Although The Bravery will easily regain a great deal of their original fan base with this album, there are a few weak spots. On "I Have Seen The Future," electronic effects overrun an otherwise decent tune perhaps in an effort to continue their nod to the decade they owe so much to. The other low point of the album is the final song which sounds like a long-forgotten Interpol B-side that was scrapped well before it was ever released.

For fans of remixes, a Best Buy exclusive version of the CD contains three remixes of Slow Poison which are all very different takes on the original and equally worthy of a listen. The Bravery may not have the same energy of their first album anymore, but Stir the Blood is still a great CD and a must own for any of their fans.

Similar Artists: The Killers, Rock Kills Kid

Track Suggestion: Song For Jacob

I like this album. Better than some of crap being released these days. The bravery maintains their sound a little tow well in this album, and that is partly why I don't like this album as much as The Sun & Moon or Unconditional.

Sam Endicott and company can profess their originality all they want, but the plain facts are they have yet to do more than ape their heroes. I mean, how close to The Cure, Joy Division and Duran Duran do you want to be? They still haven't brought something fresh to the 80's New Wave revivalist scene. In fact, Sam's vocals can get downright annoying. I still feel these guys are posturing, that they don't have what it takes to transcend to the next level musically. Three albums that are all pretty much the same in sound and quality. Not bad, not great, just average. I'd rather listen to White Lies from Great Britain, or Arcade Fire from Canada, or even Interpol from New York. The Bravery really need a producer who will push them (or dress them up if they lack the talent).

"Adored", "Slow Poison", "Hatef--k", "The Spectator", "I Have Seen The Future" and "Red Hands and White Knuckles" are all decent, but lack inspiration. I liked them, they were innocuous. The standout track belongs to "Song For Jacob"--it has an interesting melody and menacing lyrics that really work to the band's strengths. "Jack-O-Lantern Man" is ho hum, and "She's So Bendable" and "Sugar Pill" felt thrown away. The best thing about The Bravery is that all of their albums are short, so it's over before you have a chance to get bored.

What I'd like to see in the future (if the band does another album) is some risk taking. The band has not produced a near perfect album yet. All of their albums are uneven, with filler tracks. The band needs to concentrate on songwriting and song structure--they have style and bravado, now they just need to back it up.

Here's how "Stir The Blood" compares to their other albums:

2005 The Bravery: Three and a Half Stars
2007 The Sun and the Moon: Three Stars
2009 Stir the Blood: Three and a Half Stars

Nothing like the first two. Bought it for my husband and we were totally bummed. We saw them in concert with the last 2 cd's but this one is just depressing and boring.

I've enjoyed the Bravery ever since I discovered their track "Believe" and it shot to the top of my playlists, securing its place as my all time favorite. However, despite enjoying most of their self-titled debut album, and thought (along with many others) "The Sun and the Moon" to be a bit disappointing. After I heard that a new album would be coming out, I excitedly listened to the singles as they were released, but save for the awkwardly titled "Hatef**k," did not really enjoy them (and although I thought Hatef**k to be darkly catchy, the Hindert-directed music video that hit YouTube was enough to severely creep me out).

Still, I wanted to give this album a chance, so I snagged it the day it was released and gave it a listen, while playing Forza 3 on a frigid winter day in my college apartment. I must say that I really enjoyed it.

Like most albums, I don't like EVERY song on Stir the Blood. Again, the two singles "Sugar Pill" and "Slow Poison" don't really suit me, but I really enjoy "I Am Your Skin," "Hatef**k," "I Have Seen the Future," and "Red Hands and White Knuckles." The Bravery has really done a good job putting an eclectic mix on here and I think it is a notable improvement from The Sun and the Moon, though "Believe" is still the most solid song they have made, in my opinion.

This album was a welcome return to form by the Bravery and I definitely enjoy it.

Like I said, recording in the back of tour busses and airport lavatory's may sound good on paper and give your record an "edgy" feel, but ultimately it's doing this band a great disservice. It's three albums worth or do-it-yourself production for The Bravery, and frankly the sound is beginning to wear. They need a top producer to take hold of them and work the songs until they get a more polished sound. The first five tracks here are impressive; "Adored", "Song For Jacob", "Slow Poison", "Hatef==k", and especially "I Am Your Skin" are true gems, but they need to be polished to truly shine.

My fear is that they'll continue to wander through the buzz and haze of their sound, and never truly find themselves as a band unless they change direction. They have tons of street cred, but the band is missing their opportunities to grow their audience with this grinding-gear sound. I hope they get things together on their next record before they become just another promising indie band that loses their recording contract because they didn't sell enough records.

db

My hope for my first review was that the album I picked would blow me out of the water. I wanted to hit the ground running with a four or five star review and really start things off with a bang. With that in mind, I'm laughing to myself now because I think my first review is going to end up being a tad lackluster. And the fact that I'm drawing so much attention to it instead of just getting to the review probably isn't helping my cause.

Anyway, I used the term "lackluster". That word comes to mind when I think of The Bravery's Stir the Blood. This is the third effort from this New York-based synth-rock band and like with their first release, simply titled The Bravery, lead singer Sam Endicott is sitting in the producer's chair. I was a huge fan of their previous effort, the Brendan O'Brien-produced The Sun and the Moon, so I really wanted to be head over heels for this album. Sort of the way I wanted to be head over heels for the last Indiana Jones film, which, if you saw said film I'm sure you can guess how that situation ended up. With Stir the Blood I just found myself unimpressed. When I first listened to it I felt by the third or fourth track that it was a pretty safe determination to make that this was the darker, more depressing sequel to The Sun and the Moon.

There are definitely some high points that raise the roof perhaps a couple centimeters such as the lead off guitar line and half-soaring chorus to the opening track "Adored", or the album's second track "Song For Jacob" which has a pretty killer synthesizer theme demonstrated throughout as well as a chorus that will make you want to either pump your fist or bob your head. But overall it feels like these guys (or maybe just Endicott) are more pissed off than anything and getting that message/feeling across is their ultimate goal. That being said, I'll let you read the title and judge for yourself as to what the situation is with the fourth track. One of the reasons I loved their previous album so much was because of the great use of synthesizers throughout. Think "Believe" or "Time Won't Let Me Go" and how the synths mixed just right with the catchy guitar riffs in those songs. Synths are definitely present on Stir the Blood but seem a bit over-used. For example, on the chorus of the song "Red Hands and White Knuckles" it seems more like Endicott's vocal line is doing battle with the synthesizer for dominance and it just ends up feeling a tad too cluttered.

It seems like they've found a sound that has worked for them in the past so rather than explore new territory they're just going to stick with what they know and it just ends up putting off this awkward feeling given the dark tone lyrically. In short, while I can understand Endicott's desire to probably have more direct creative control over his music, if I were these guys I'd welcome Brendan O'Brien back with open arms.