Search - The Bravery :: The Sun And The Moon Complete [2 CD]

Mixed signals--was band not happy with the change in musical

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 03/19/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"So, this CD originally comes out, and many fans of the more electronic/80s new wave kickback feel of the first album felt isolated by the more rock guitar feel of the new album. Now we have a rerelease with the lead singer and songwriter remixing the entire album and--imagine this--adding more synths and electronic beats to the songs. Is this an attempt to satisfy those fans who were not so pleased with the original results of the second album? Despite me being one of those fans, I must say, on most of these remixes, the electronic vibe thrown into the mix feels quite forced. I may have to give it a few more listens to see if it begins to have a more natural flow (like the first album) but right now, it just isn't a vast improvement over the original versions for me, and I'd STILL rather go listen to the first album.



In terms of the best remixes for the more 'dance/synth rock' club sound reminiscent of "An Honest Mistake" and other songs from the first Bravery LP, the winners on the new bonus CD of The Sun And The Moon are track 3 -"This is Not The End" and Track 12 - "The Ocean", which has been totally transformed from its original version. "Every Word Is A Knife in My Ear," which was one of my favorite tracks from the original version, is remixed to a down tempo clunker, so the original mix is better, and "Bad Sun," another favorite club friendly track from the original CD, is remixed just to an alternate synth dance version. All remaining tracks on the remix CD are predominantly plagued by clunky beats that sound very 90s to me, even if the added synths in the background try to sound like retro 80s. But still, getting two more tracks from the Bravery's second LP to add to my ipod folder of 'now wave' artists makes it worth the inexpensive price of this 2-disc set."

Both Discs are Necessary to Truely Appreciate This Band!

networking consultant | UT | 04/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am glad that I waited to purchase this ablum until this double disc came out! I loved their first album. If I had only heard the first disc (the original) I would have been disappointed that they may have sold out, but that first disc opens up an understanding of the song writing ability and depth from this band. Without this first disc, his lyrics would almost go entirely unnoticed. So this first disc (the original album) is important, but not like their first album in many respects. The second disc just ROCKS! And is exactly like the first ablum. I would highly recommend getting both Albums. Listen to the second disc first to satisfy the demand for the BRAVERY that we all know and love, and then listen to the first disc to learn to appreciate the lyrical ability of Sam E. Both discs are fantastic, and both discs are entirely different songs (same lyrics). I hope that this band considers doing this more often - just releasing them at the same time."

Day for Night

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 06/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The second album by The Bravery is a radical departure from The Bravery, in a major improvement. Gone are the Duran Duran/Killers imitative songs and pseudo-new wave posturing, in are melodic songs with acoustic underpinnings. While a comparison to the radical shift The Killers made with Sam's Town is more than a little apt, The Bravery sound more like they boned up on Coldplay, The Rembrandts, The Cure or even a little Pink Floyd when they started laying the groundwork for "The Sun and The Moon."



The album is a low key affair, without the obvious single that marked "An Honest Mistake." But given time, "Time Won't Let Me Go" and "Believe" stay in your memory. There are a couple of darker moments, like "Tragedy Bound," about a woman so hard luck that "She's cutting herself just to see if it works." If you miss the breezy, easy pop of the debut, there's "Bad Sun," with an inescapable whistling hook.



The second disc in this special set is something of a mystery. The original album is compleley overhauled to make it into a night-club electronic disc, which often sounds like a force fit. It works on the numbers that were singles anyway ("Believe" and a total rethink of "Time Won't Let Me Go") but bleeds the charm out of "Bad Sun." In the case of "Time" and "The Ocaen," they almost turn into completely different songs. Personally, I prefer the more organic Sun (original) version, but a few elongated remixes could pump the "Moon" disc into a few club staples.



The Bravery have not completely escaped their past, however. "Every Word is a Knife In My Ear" is on a par with "Stop Drop and Roll" from the debut as filler and "Split Me Wide Open" is way too heavy handed lyrically for its own good. Main Braveheart Sam Endicott can be proud of this effort, though. With "The Sun and The Moon," he and his fellow Bravery mates have transcended their roots and made an album that shows a band with more promise than their debut would have led you to contemplate."