Back in February, The Bravery released their debut single, An Honest Mistake, and my how it delivered on the mass hysteria that had been surrounding them - three and a half minutes of intense pop that completely surrounded and enveloped its listener. Then, Fearless was released to vast indifference, inciting many to hail The Bravery as one hit wonders.
Unconditional is their third single, and is somewhat of a return to form. The lightning pace and muddy bass are all held together by the soaring synth riff that rockets through the song as Sam Endicott pleads; "I never wondered why, the easiest things are so hard... I just want love."
Minor quibbles come with the realisation that perhaps The Bravery have tried to force too many ideas into Unconditional, running the risk of sounding too cluttered and messy. But they walk the structure tightrope well, just, and end up with a vicious three minutes of damn cool pop that packs a punch of some force.