1. Honest Mistake, An
2. No Brakes
3. Fearless
4. Tyrant
5. Give In
6. Swollen Summer
7. Public Service Announcement
8. Out Of Line
9. Unconditional
10. Ring Song, The
11. Rites Of Spring
Description:
The leaders of the current New York revival, The Bravery, deliver their eagerly anticipated self-titled debut album. Unleashing their unique blend of shambolic and rapturous dance-rock (think the indie disco sensibilities of The Killers meshed with the inebriated guitar-led delivery of The Strokes), The Bravery have quickly established themselves in the UK as one of the bands to look out for in 2005.
Following on from their debut limited EP comes first proper single, ‘An Honest Mistake’, with its thumping beats, synths and penetrating vocals to make it a fitting album opener to the retro-vision of the band. However, album highlight has to be ‘Fearless’, with its heavy and malingering bass-line dropping down at our feet whilst the band impart a flawlessly exuberant indie milieu to singer/producer/charismatic frontman Sam Endicott’s conceited declarations that “I know that’s why you love me, chica”. The Bravery further exhibit their joyous rock ‘n’ roll hedonism on ‘Swollen Summer’, a song with enough of a cocksure and self-important guitar solo to make The Darkness jealous, over which Endicott howls and yelps like he’s on a teenage rampage through a town centre at 3am.
The sheer exuberance of The Bravery makes them stand apart from the unfriendly and reticent side of the New York scene, however they aren’t all about how fast they can play their guitars and how many dance loops will fit into a 2 minute pop gem. They do add sustenance to the album with a few reflective tracks, such as ‘Unconditional’, which sounds like an illegally sedated version of ‘Mr. Brightside’, and ‘Hot Pursuit’, with its fuzzed-up guitars and echoing vocals reverberating the overeager attempts at combating loneliness. This album is a clear-cut example in how to be successful without compromising your lust for life.
Bravery - Bravery
