Blue Plate Special: The Bravery
The Bravery emerged from the electric hum of New York City’s early-2000s rock revival, a five-piece wired together by sharp guitars, neon-lit synths, and the restless energy of post-punk. Formed in 2003 by vocalist Sam Endicott and keyboardist John Conway—college friends whose musical partnership stretched back to Vassar—the band solidified its lineup with guitarist Michael Zakarin, bassist Mike Hindert, and drummer Anthony Burulcich. Their DIY ascent became part of their legend: hand-poster campaigns across the Lower East Side, early MySpace uploads that spread like wildfire, and packed club residencies where their now-iconic phoenix imagery framed a rapidly growing following. Their breakout single “An Honest Mistake” launched them onto the global stage in 2005, earning them critical acclaim, sold-out tours, and a reputation as one of New York’s most urgent new voices.
Their sound fused a razor-edged post-punk revival with glossy electronic textures—equal parts dancefloor pulse and rock-club sweat. While contemporaries often drew comparisons to The Killers or The Strokes, The Bravery carved out something more rhythm-forward and nocturnal, influenced as much by DIY electronic music and disco as by the darker corners of ’80s new wave. This hybrid aesthetic shaped their three studio albums—The Bravery (2005), The Sun and the Moon (2007), and Stir the Blood (2009)—as well as the dual-vision project The Sun and the Moon Complete, which offered reimagined versions of the same songs. Tracks like “Time Won’t Let Me Go,” “Slow Poison,” and especially their certified gold hit “Believe” cemented their place in indie-rock history, soundtracking festivals, films, television shows, and a generation of late-night drives.
After an intense stretch of global touring, creative reinvention, and high-profile collaborations—including Endicott’s songwriting for Shakira and Christina Aguilera—the band entered an extended hiatus in the early 2010s as its members explored individual artistic paths. Yet the pull of their signature sound never fully faded. In 2021, The Bravery announced their reunion, returning to the stage with the same propulsive energy, cinematic visual identity, and magnetic chemistry that had defined their early rise. Today, the band stands as both a defining voice of the 2000s rock renaissance and a revitalized force revisiting the spark that ignited their start: a gritty, dance-driven, synth-lit vision of rock made for nights that stretch until morning.
Some of my favorites from their catalog:
Believe (Moon Version) – from the album The Sun and the Moon Complete (2008)
No Brakes – from the single Unconditional (2004)
Time Won’t Let Me Go – from the album The Sun and the Moon (2007)
Hatef–k – from the album Stir the Blood (2009)
An Honest Mistake – from the album The Bravery (2005)
Slow Poison (Villains Remix) – from the Slow Poison Remix EP (2009)
Above and Below – from the album The Sun and the Moon (2007)
Unconditional – from the album The Bravery (2005)
Song for Jacob – from the album Stir the Blood (2009)
