The Bravery
The Sun and the Moon

THE REVIEW

'The Sun and the Moon' is the album that marked the international success of "The Bravery". The NY quintet of 'brave ones' certainly continues to lack originality, neither in the choice of the CD's name, nor in the composition of the tracks. Indeed, "The Sun And The Moon" is as lively as it is banal; although there is the right contrast between light and shadows (serving as a subliminal message through the album's title), the tracks seem all too much to refer to icons of the past, notably Duran Duran with a hint of Depeche Mode, giving a nod to contemporary bands like Feeder and Franz Ferdinand.

 The sampling is quite heavy; just listen to the example of the base of the hit (at least in the USA and UK) "Time Won't Let Me Go", which is almost identical to the unfortunately less famous "Feeling A Moment" by Feeder. Many of you may have been almost nauseated by the pounding chorus of "Believe", played on Virgin Radio like Pippo Baudo at Sanremo, but the hallmark of the indie pop rock group (forgive the mixture) is indeed the catchiness, and thus the various "Every Word Is A Knife In My Ear" and "This Is Not The End", even if they almost reflect dance music, are highly appreciable for 'easy' ears and for listening without particular demands. There's even room for an 'acoustic' that frankly leaves one quite puzzled; in "Tragedy Bound", the band proves to be also adept at weaving good 'soft' melodies, a spot-on piece that is indispensable as a watershed in a collection of somewhat similar tracks. "Fistful Of Sand" is also good, even though the New Yorkers seem a bit too 'inspired' (specifically, it's the Travis serving as mentors), the track sounds good, so ultimately there is progress compared to the previous CD which, after a decent start, loses quality in the final part.

Without a doubt, the indie/pop fusion has been the group's additional weapon and "The Sun And The Moon", thanks also to a "New Wave" touch, ultimately easily earns a pass. Recommended more or less to everyone but especially to those who want to relax their ears for a few minutes. As you have well understood, do not expect anything deep, the Depeche Mode are a good twenty (light) years away.