Remix disc lacks courage to try something new

Remixed but not remastered, a typically no-apologies The Bravery has released the atonement of… Remixed but not remastered, a typically no-apologies The Bravery has released the atonement of its The Sun and the Moon album. The two-disc set includes the original 12 tracks and the same 12 tracks remixed.

The Sun and The Moon Complete The Bravery Island Records Rocks like: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand

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The original disc features plenty of New Wave Dance indiscretions, giving style fans more to listen to than The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. Following the music formula of its self-titled debut album, The Sun and Moon gave everyone who still hadn’t admitted liking the new wave sound a second chance but left proud fans waiting for more.

Many of the tracks on the original album were lackadaisical, consisting of wimpy lyrics and uninspired rhythm. Music review outlets rolled over them without remorse, with Pitchfork’s 1.8-out-of-10 rating deriding The Bravery for lack of originality on the magnitude of being “parasites.” Ouch.

The original album wasn’t all bad though. “Believe” is a cool and fast-moving track that opens up the album on the right foot and features sharp rhythms and smart use of The Bravery’s talented vocals. It hooks into you in the same way Moby’s “Extreme Ways” did for audiences during the end credits of the Jason Bourne movies. It’s only after this song that everything is a disappointment by comparison.

However, as if realizing its mistakes after releasing the album, the band’s remixes attempt to make up for these shortfalls by cranking up the rhythm. The lyrics can still be whiney and annoying – just try to concentrate on the rhythm. The highlights of this remix cut are that “Bad Sun” and “Split Me Wide Open” are now enjoyable to listen to. Both gain techno dance keyboard parts that get you moving.

The problem with the keyboard parts is that they tend to cut through sections like they were thrown over top, like a sheet over an ugly piece of furniture. More noticeable on other tracks, the remixes seem more like fixes than a genuine interest in blending new elements into the original song.

The formerly stagnant songs are at least moving somewhere now, but they still lack enough originality to pop off the disc. Take

“The Ocean,” which was a snuffed-out candle light song on original release and now has a driving rhythm that keeps momentum on the album until the end. The remixes of several other songs similarly take the lowest points on the album and brings them up to average, giving you a chance to appreciate tracks like “Bad Sun” without getting so bored while waiting for “Split Me Wide Open.”

This comes at the cost of “Believe,” though, which was defrayed in the remix process, removing what made it a cool song before.

Any one of those three tracks would be worth a download, but the rest of the tracks on the album are just not worth it. They’re better than before, but by no length of a diehard fan’s hopes will they reinstate The Bravery. The most esoteric hipsters will claim that The Bravery was never instated to begin with.

While showing brief moments of genuine ability, The Bravery stagnates in too many places on “The Sun and the Moon Complete.” Aside from a couple tracks that you could put into a party background mix, there isn’t much to miss.