Courageous comeback by the Bravery

Clearly, the New Yorkers themselves had few doubts, judging by last night's confident airing of new songs, which found an instant connection with fans, and the celebratory renditions of electro-rock singles such as An Honest Mistake.

In fact, just two albums in - their second, The Sun and the Moon, is out in July - and The Bravery played like a band in possession of a greatest hits set.

Yet a couple of years ago, their songs were almost overshadowed by a media spat with The Killers, another group with Eighties influences but, ultimately, bigger record sales.

It didn't help, either, that The Bravery's singer Sam Endicott used to look like the sort of man who's always prepared for a fashion shoot when he leaves the house.

At ULU, though, all that was forgotten as he sported a preppy look and, dragging his lanky frame across the stage, caterwauled through a pounding Fearless and the stroppy disco tune Out of Line.

But even Endicott's domineering-vocal could not mask the radio-friendly perfection of new song Believe, with its big chorus and "ooh-ooh" backing vocals. Equally, the latest single Time Won't Let Me Go was irresistible, while the whistling intro to Bad Sun suggested a sense of humour.

Like The Killers, Endicott and his band have broadened their songwriting with a few more classic rock influences. But The Bravery's set also had punk antics, as when Michael Hindert (who once played Glastonbury naked) climbed atop a speaker stack, dropped his bass and dived into the crowd.

Overall, then, this comeback surpassed expectations. And The Bravery should go down a storm at the festivals.

The Bravery
University Of London Union
Malet Street, WC1E 7HY