The Bravery — Stir the Blood
Release date: Dec. 1, 2009
Length: 35:31
Genre: Alternative
Label: Island Def Jam
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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 4- or 5-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’s the word that comes to mind when I think of The Bravery’s newest album, “Stir the Blood.”
“Stir the Blood” is the third effort from the New York-based synth-rock band, and like with their self-titled first release, lead singer Sam Endicott is sitting in the producer’s chair.
I was a huge fan of The Bravery’s 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 the album, I felt, by the third or fourth track, that it was a pretty safe to say this is the darker, more depressing sequel to “The Sun and the Moon.”
There are definitely some high points that raise the roof perhaps a couple of 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 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 The Bravery’s previous album so much was because of the great use of synthesizers. On “Believe” and “Time Won’t Let Me Go,” the synths mixed just right with catchy guitar riffs. Synths are definitely present on “Stir the Blood,” but they seem a bit over-used. For example, on the chorus of “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 the band has found a sound that has worked for them in the past, so rather than exploring new territory, they’re just going to stick with what they know. That 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.
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