We Are Scientists are an Alt/Indie band who can really make a catchy song. I don’t know where they are from though. They have a couple songs out as singles right now and are going to get really big (I can tell, I’m psychic). They have just released their first album, With Love and Squalor that I will be reviewing.I actually heard about them on On Demand.
I really have to bring up this point about this band because it annoys the crap out of me. Are they obsessed with cats or something??? Their entire booklet is filled with pictures of them holding little cats. What the fudge? I mean they could have put the lyrics in there or something… well back to the review.
We Are Scientists is Keith Murray (not the rapper dude) on the guitar and the microphone, Chris Cain on the bass guitar, and Michael Tapper on the drums.
The first song on the album is “Nobody move, Nobody get hurt”. This just happens to be their first single off the album and is filled with simple guitar (catchy intro and verse riff though) and simple bass. The drums stand out a little too along with the quick guitar solo. This energetic song is followed by “This Scene is Dead” that opens with guitar that is not as simple as the previous song. The angry chorus is “Come on and get gone. You can’t come home I’m blacking out but it’s been fun.” “Inaction” opens with a cool bass and is later added onto by the guitar. The chorus is lighter than most of the song. This is a great song that has some cool guitar and simple drum beat.
Another big highlight on this album is the song “Callbacks”. This song opens with guitar and a fast drum roll quickly getting louder and louder. This is the most energetic song on the album and goes by fast running in at 2:02. “Cash Cow” has a high- pitched guitar intro and the verses are backed up with mostly bass and drums. Seems like a typical W.A.S song but …The CHORUS kicks in heavily and reminds you of “Callbacks” a lot.
The song “It’s a Hit” is really just a typical We Are Scientists song featuring great vocals in the chorus. You know what? I haven’t mentioned the vocals yet, have I? Let me tell you, Keith Murray has a very soothing voice. “It’s a Hit” also sort of gets repetitive only because the same guitar riff is played over and over in the chorus.
Well, I’ll start off another paragraph talking about the best song on the album, and also the second single off the album, “The Great Escape”. This song has a very simple guitar intro and verse but is backed up by its catchiness. Basically the guitar in this song is extremely simple, but the vocals are astonishing (in my opinion). The lyrics go like this:
Chorus: “I’ve got a great idea. I’m gonna stay right here. When anything can happen. Oh oh oh” My favorite line in this song goes something like this, “They’re breaking both my hands, breaking both my hands. They tell me to take it like a man, take it like a man. Well. I can’t!” A truly great line. Well enough of that…The song “Textbook” is a considerably slower song compared to the other songs and has some fair guitar in the background of the verses. This is an OK song, and is the longest on the album coming in at 4:01. “Worth the Wait” is a very energetic song kicking in right into the verse that has a pretty good little guitar riff every once in a while. The song has really good bass and is very regular with the drums. This is a good song with good vocals and is also fairly short.
Well the album is almost over with only ONE more song. And I’ve got to tell it’s a heck of a good way to finish this truly wonderful album. “What’s the Word” begins with just the bass drum. It is quickly added on to by the guitar going into the verse. The chorus is light as the song is fairly slow, but the song is really a great song. A pretty good finish.
With Love And Squalor is a really wonderful way to kick off We Are Scientists career. It is filled with great musical talent. This is my second review and I hope you enjoyed.
Pros:
+ Lots of great songs
+ Amazing vocals
+ Really good for a debut
Cons:
+ Could have been better on the guitar
+ Bass wasn’t the best
+ Too many flippin’ cats!!
I give this album an overall rating of....4/5. It's good.
