Upon first listen, We Are Scientists' album "With Love and Squalor" sounds like an undefined mixture of pop punk and '80s-imitation bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Hot Hot Heat or The Strokes.
Fortunately for the band, described by lead singer Keith Murray on their Web site as "a flight from New York to L.A. with three layovers" or "a three-tusked mastadon," the band's humor seems to match Frank Zappa more than it does The Killers.
Their first single "Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt" has one of those infectious riffs that plants itself in your head and pitches a tent for the day. The video shows the band being chased by a man in a bear suit.
Most of the tracks on "With Love and Squalor" follow suit in that they're fun and bouncy but heavily reminiscent of other bands. "This Scene is Dead" or "Textbook" revisit the dark style of The Cure or Interpol, whereas "Callbacks" and "The Great Escape" sound like at least 20 indie-gone-radio-friendly groups.
It is unclear whether the band is being funny or pretentious with their lyrics, but they seem to be pretty aware of what they're doing.
"The scene is dead but I'm still restless/ And an hour or so is the last call I guess/ I shouldn't even be here much less/ Drinking myself into excess/ I'm not going home, till I'm done," Murray sings in "This Scene is Dead," acknowledging that the genre is overdone but still addictive.
This is the band's first full-length album, and the group is at the very least headed for success with its accessible style. Listeners will most likely strike gold with at least one of the songs on "With Love and Squalor," even if just for the ethereal lyrics.
"Twenty years of bad decisions haven't taught me much at all/ Separate events, you're making everyone pretend it's not your fault/ All of this offense you're taking, doesn't really bother me at all," sings Murray in "Textbook."
"B+" for humor, "C" for actual content. "A" for the adorable kittens on the cover.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
