We Are Scientists – With Love and Squalor (Virgin)

Every now and then even the most jaded indie rock afficionados have to let down their wall of sophistication to enjoy a good solid pop album, guilt-free. I’ve always felt that accessibility should not ruin the experience of an intuitively catchy album — of course, it’s a lot easier if you can jump on board before MTV has a chance to play it to death.

The story of We Are Scientists’ debut album “With Love and Squalor” is an interesting one, starting on the campus of the University of Southern California, leading to a performance at SXSW, and culminating with the band’s signing to Virgin Music. The thing is, these guys have been on the radar of MP3 bloggers for a full year before their album was released in North America, and now that the album is in stores, the backlash has already started. It seems like blogging has sped up music distribution to the point where a band is now considered passé by the time you can actually buy their music.

At any rate, while I can’t say this band offers up anything groundbreaking or revolutionary, I think there is still something to be said for the sheer infectiousness of their music. It has been my experience that the albums that take the most time to grow on you often end up becoming timeless classics. With Love And Squalor is probably not one of those albums; it hits you with instant gratification and does not conceal much more below the surface. But sometimes I’m okay with that. All I know is that when I first heard some of the songs on this album, they were absorbed into my brain and have been continually playing on repeat somewhere up there ever since.

We Are Scientists will fall well within the comfort zone of most commercial radio listeners; Franz Ferdinand and The Killers are some obvious reference points (check out the song “Lousy Reputation” for their best Killers imitation). But there’s a bit more energy and fun in these songs, more edge and more freneticism despite the silky smooth choruses. People are also likely to make comparisons to Les Savy Fav (”Cash Cow”) and especially Hot Hot Heat (”Worth The Wait”). The band’s hidden strength lies in its razor sharp rhythm section, the bass and drums propelling them through song after song, from the bounding progression of “The Great Escape” to the agile single “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt”.

The only sticking point for me would have to be the vocals of frontman Keith Murray, which occasionally seem to hover somewhere in an uncomfortable Oasis/Incubus range (”Can’t Lose” may be the best example of this phenomenon). Still, faux British accents notwithstanding, there is a draw to his voice as well, and I can’t hold it against him that he is actually able to sing.

The other noteworthy thing about this band is that their wacky sense of humour. While it’s not immediately obvious in the music itself (probably a good thing), it is more than a little endearing. From their eccentric fashion sense to the “Ask A Scientist” advice column on their website, it’s a relief to find that they don’t take themselves too seriously. At the very least this should guarantee them a sizeable cult following in the forseeable future.

I am pretty confident, however, that We Are Scientists will become a household name before too long. They certainly seem poised for mainstream success, but that really doesn’t take away from the strength of this wonderful debut album. Danceable rock music that makes for perfect summer listening in the dead of winter. — Sean

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