Brian’s Take

    A mammoth struggle between the blockbuster & the lack-luster is We Are Scientists’ fourth outing, Barbara. We Are Scientists have been indie’s premiere minimalists for the last decade, a celebration of mediocrity if you will, & Barbara is truly no different. Sure this outing brings a more brazen rock sound than 2008’s Brain Thrust Mastery, but the thick-headed ideals that support this band remain as stubborn as ever.

    Barbara’s opening moments prove to be it’s strongest. “Rules Don’t Stop” provides a strong enough hook to open the album, leading into Barbara’s most enticing offering, “I Don’t Bite.” Respectfully, the rest of the album simply bobs across a sea of mediocrity, occasional highlights like “Break It Up” adds validity to Barbara’s plea for attention. Like an unfunny, less eccentric version of They Might Be Giants, We Are Scientists, through use of nerdy heartbreak & bummed out vocals, beg for our indulgence, but it’s just too difficult to commit.

    What ultimately defines the success of an album is its ability to stay in mind, be memorable, & as a band’s catalog expands, stand out from the rest. Sadly, that is the very problem with Barbara, while it is a fair & agreeable effort, it will insert itself into an already bland catalog, with no hope of longevity. We Are Scientists’ steadfast belief in their sound can be both admired & criticized, but, in my opinion, a genre staple should not look this long in the tooth after only four albums.


My Grade: 5 out of 10

Key Tracks: “I Don’t Bite,” “Break It Up,” “Central AC.”

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Kristopher’s Take

    We Are Scientists, in their roughly ten years of bandhood, have become mainstays of indie rock. Also, did you know they have a TV show in the UK (wtf)? In their career, they’ve seen a lot of success for what, in this writer’s opinion, anyone is capable of. We Are Scientists’ overall style is hardly a new idea, since, instrumentally, it’d be very difficult to discern the band from a thousand of the same genre, but, to their credit, they make it work. In their magnanimous efforts to be recognized by the musical world, they’ve arrived at their fourth studio album, Barbara.

    I think what this woman, Barbara, is trying to tell us is that We Are Scientists are quite content with producing ten tracks quite similar to their previous efforts and have no intentions of changing in the future. We Are Scientists tread an interesting line, right along the bare minimum of keeping this listener’s attention. There are many more engaging artists to be listening to, yet We Are Scientists still manage to hold their own, in general.

    As for the makeup of the album, it’s very much Britpop and Britrock influenced, which makes sense as a large part of their career centers around the UK, an astounding part, in fact, for an America-based band. Much of the album is upbeat and tends not to stray out of the comfort zone. Though, We Are Scientists do throw a curveball every once in a while with an unexpected vocal melody, going soulful rather than rock.

    This album is snoresville; but it’s not bad. I recommend not listening to this album while operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery.


My Grade: 6 out of 10

Key Tracks: “Nice Guys” and “Foreign Kicks.”