Well, New Wave pretty much covered everything about our trip to Old Blighty, so I needn't review it. England remains lovely.

(A) S/T (2005, The Bravery) Grade: C

With the amount of hype surrounding New York City’s The Bravery—Rolling Stone’s Band to Watch, NME declaring ‘Bravemania’—it would be in your best interest to buy their debut album and declare them your new favorite band. That is, if the album actually lived up to the hype. More than most, The Bravery feels like a concept band: stylish hair and eyeliner (check); new wave, synth sound (check); decrying endless comparisons—“I think we’re more synthetic than most bands out there, but we’re also more real” (check plus). Based on their singles “An Honest Mistake” and “Unconditional,” The Bravery sounds like one of the most exciting acts today. But other tracks on their debut are quite obviously filler, and it’s apparent these musicians are a tad short on ideas. For every “Unconditional,” there are lackluster “Swollen Summer” or cringe-worthy, not campy “Public Service Announcement.” These NYC lads were smart—they spread their stronger tracks throughout the album rather than risk it being top-heavy. Nevertheless, those residing in music land should download the three or four stronger tracks and save some money. I'm betting Bravemania won't last long. Well, then again, there's no accounting for public taste.


(B) 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses & Misuses (2004, The good editors at American Heritage Dictionaries) Grade: B+

As an aspiring word nerd, this handy dandy reference is fun! No, seriously, good times. Although not as useful as, say, The Grammar Bible, 100 Words is still informative. Sample entry: blatant vs. flagrant ... Both attribute conspicuousness and offensiveness to certain acts. Blatant emphasizes the failure to conceal the act. Flagrant emphasizes the serious wrongdoing inherent in the offense. Also, the use of blatant to mean 'obvious' has not been officially established. Ah, that's fun innit?