THE SUN AND THE MOON - THE BRAVERY
The Bravery remains the band most likely to please those who crave a fix of vintage New Wave, right down to the synth hooks and anthemic choruses. But on its second album, the New York quintet succeeds in sounding more like its own band, a group that works within familiar conventions but — save for the angsty Cure-aping of “Split Me Wide Open” and the “London Calling” intro of “This Is Not the End” — finds a way to sound distinct. The dance quotient isn’t quite as high as it was on the Bravery’s self-titled 2005 debut. Indeed, the overall mood is a bit more pensive and solemn (and eminently tuneful), incorporating strings and acoustic guitars on “Tragedy Bound” and “The Ocean” and ringing, midtempo ambience on “Bad Sun,” “Fist Full of Sand” and the single “Time Won’t Let Me Go.”(Island Records) Billboard
