Staff Reviews

We Are Scientists - Barbara

Review by Dom Gourlay

Listening to Barbara is like watching the England football team; expectations are high at the outset and true to form, things get off to a rousing start. However, after the halfway mark once normality has set in, there's an alarming sense of underachievement and long before its conclusion, they've already been dismissed as hapless failures. »

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a new drummer, a new label, and a divisive second album find new york trio we are scientists revisiting familiar sounds on 'barbara'. after an excursion into synth-soaked mopery on 2008's 'brain thrust mastery', keith murray and chris cain are joined by ex-razorlight drummer andy burrows, who brings back the powerful percussion of their debut. promises of a return to form usually indicate retreads, but first two singles 'rules don't stop' and 'nice guys' are both propulsive slabs of expertly crafted pop-rock that nearly lift from the ground with exuberance. the album is the first to be released by pias recordings, following we are scientists' departure from virgin / emi.
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