Stir the Blood explained

Stir the Blood
Type:	studio
Artist:	the Bravery
Cover:	stir-the-blood.png
Released:	December 1, 2009
Recorded:	2009
Studio:	Dreamland (West Hurley, New York) Rusty Bronson's Pleasure Cave (New York City) DNA Downtown (New York City) Clinton (New York City) The Joint (London)
Genre:	Indie rock post-punk revival
Length:	35:26
Label:	Island
Producer:	John Hill Sam Endicott
Prev Title:	The Sun and the Moon Complete
Prev Year:	2008

Stir the Blood is the third studio album by American rock band the Bravery, released on December 1, 2009, by Island Records. It features the singles "Slow Poison" and "I Am Your Skin".^[1]

Production

To record the album, the band headed to Upstate New York and into the woods. The group set up shop for Stir the Blood at Dreamland Recording, a recording facility in an abandoned 1800s church which, years earlier, housed the Pixies for an unnamed project and the B-52's as they recorded "Love Shack". There, as most of the band came in and out, Endicott stayed in a neighboring house for several months as he helmed the producer's desk for the new record, alongside John Hill. Songs like "Slow Poison", "She's So Bendable", "I Am Your Skin" and "Hatef--k" came about as Endicott picked through riffs recorded here and there from the band's tour in support of 2007's The Sun and the Moon. Endicott claims "there is a dark tone to this album" and that "there's an angry undertone to it". "I was pretty pissed off when I wrote a lot of the songs", says Endicott. He also claims that while the lyrics, which also focus on "intimacy", may be dark, the music stays upbeat.^[2]

Album art

The cover of the album features a detail from "Carrion Call" by British artist Polly Morgan.

Singles

The first single released, "Slow Poison", has reached numbers 24 and 40 on the US alternative songs and rock songs charts.

The second single, "I Am Your Skin", was released in November 2009 on iTunes.

A music video for the song "Hatef--k" was released in October 2009.

A music video for the song "Slow Poison" was released in November 2009.

A music video for the song "Sugar Pill" was also released in November 2009.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Sam Endicott, except where noted.

1. "Adored" – 3:42
2. "Song for Jacob" – 3:23
3. "Slow Poison" – 3:31
4. "Hatef--k" – 2:55
5. "I Am Your Skin" – 3:01
6. "She's So Bendable" (M. Hindert) – 2:21
7. "The Spectator" – 3:50
8. "I Have Seen the Future" – 3:15
9. "Red Hands and White Knuckles" – 3:21
10. "Jack-O'-Lantern Man" – 2:50
11. "Sugar Pill" – 3:17

Best Buy bonus tracks

12. "Slow Poison" (Villains Remix)
13. "Slow Poison" (Drop the Lime Remix)
14. "Slow Poison" (Of Montreal Remix)

iTunes bonus tracks

12. "Slow Poison" (Lego My Echo Remix)
13. "Slow Poison" (Roy G and the Biv Remix)

Personnel

• Sam Endicott – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Michael Zakarin – lead guitar, backing vocals
• John Conway – keyboards, backing vocals
• Mike Hindert – bass, backing vocals
• Anthony Burulcich – drums, backing vocals

Charts

Chart (2009)! scope="col"

Peak position
US Billboard 200^[3]	135
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)^[4]	19
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[5]	30

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Bravery – Stir the Blood . TheBravery.com . 2009-09-22.
2. Web site: Lash . Jolie . The Bravery Head Into the Woods to 'Stir the Blood' . . October 7, 2009 . March 10, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728095853/http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2009/10/07/the-bravery-head-into-the-woods-to-stir-the-blood/ . July 28, 2011.
3. Billboard 200 – Week of December 19, 2009 . . March 31, 2024.
4. Top Alternative Albums – Week of December 19, 2009 . . March 31, 2024 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317063648/https://www.billboard.com/charts/alternative-albums/2009-12-19 . March 17, 2018 . live.
5. Top Rock Albums – Week of December 19, 2009 . . March 31, 2024 . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20180330142143/https://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-albums/2009-12-19 . March 30, 2018 . live.