Zen style
For
many signed US indie bands the pressure to produce quality follow-up
albums after a stellar debut release must certainly be high. The
significance of their ability to back-up signifies scrutiny.
Scrutiny from the fans that the album measures up
to their preconceived notions of what it should be and what they
should deliver and scrutiny from the record label that it will
do exactly these things for the fans.
In the case of Manhattan electro-modsters The Bravery,
little heard of on Australian shores since their self- titled
debut of 2005, which brought them to tour that same year, they
have no need to fear scrutiny from their fans and will likely
draw a new following.
Available this month is their sophomore offering
The sun and the moon complete which from what I can gather
has been re-released from an initial launch last year. Touring
as part of the We Love Sounds tour circuit with some side shows
snuck in too, this might have been the impetus behind a re-release
but this reframing has a significant twist to add to the mix a
second time around.
Two discs: the sun and the moon are presented to
form this album, with the novelty that the songs which appear
on the sun disc, appear in the same order on the moon disc. The
accompanying music behind these tracks is what has changed. Bloc
Party and other Indy bands have dared to do it with their music
being remixed by DJs but for The Bravery they’ve seen no
need to look outside their own bedroom studios used for mixing,
as the talent lies within.
The lyric penned by Sam Eddington the front man,
guitarist and producer and sometime genius to The Bravery albums
has again been clever in his song writing. He’s charged
the album again with emotional pleas to understand relationships,
navigates his listeners through tough times and of course dealing
with the loves and losses of life. It’s the arrangements
of music he’s used to underpin these tracks that provide
the powerful force in delivering such heartfelt songs and truly
demonstrates the wonder of music and the ability to invoke different
moods in you.
“The ocean” whilst the last song on
both albums in the sun version a strong emphasis on guitar and
ditty- like, gives this is a Beatle-esque feeling whereas on the
moon version it’s a much faster paced, electronic and somewhat
cleaner song than it’s diverse instrumental counterpart.
Optimism probably lends itself to the more upbeat moon version
while the meandering sun version gives a sense of despair.
“Angelina” on the sun version has underscoring
of Brit-pop and a dash of fun to it in stark contrast to that
of the moon version which delves into a manipulated synthetic
sound. My observation here is that the journey attached to each
song, whilst the lyrics are the same is so very different.
In fact this is the case for most of the parallel
tunes. Fans might remember the single release of "Time won’t
let go last year", the original sun version is slow, deliberate
and reminiscent of one of The Rapture’s or Franz Ferdinand’s
songs. The electronic version offers a dancey and fast paced rollercoaster
ride.
Both these albums are successful in their own right
and stand as a legacy for The Bravery to be proud of. Worthy of
detailed scrutiny for the many gems you can discover. If you agree
with me make sure you support them in their touring, as they are
well worth the time to see, I saw them in 2005 and they deliver
just as well live as they do recorded.
Ruth
Bailey
