The Sun and the Moon Complete

The Bravery’s first album thrilled “modern rock” fans who adored the ‘80s sounds of Duran Duran and the Cure, but their second, The Sun and The Moon, left the sheer fun behind and suffered a bit from the weight of anthem-styled seriousness. Here, the band creates a second version of The Sun and The Moon by taking the original tracks (which the band now calls The Sun) and adding complete re-recordings and noticeably different takes on the songs (which they now call The Moon), making them all available in one package. For fans of the very first Bravery album, the Moon versions might feel like coming home, with their heavy synths, bouncy bass lines, and big, reverb’d vocals returning to the modern rock sound. Two hit singles from The Sun, “Believe” and “Time Won’t Let Me Go,” could be hits all over again, vastly improved here with an electrified energy and a bit of grit, compared to their polished, original counterparts. The majority of songs benefit from new tempos and a brightened sound (especially “Bad Sun,” “This Is Not The End,” and “Ocean”), but the glassy, synth gloss in some cases relegates the guitars to the shadows (“Every Word Is A Knife...” and “Above and Below”), which may not appeal to some fans.