We Are Scientists
Barbara
BARBARA IS the third full length studio album for indie rock band We Are Scientists, who will also be playing Oxegen this year.
The New York group formed in 2000 and made it big in 2005 with their breakthrough album With Love & Squalor. Fast forward five years and We Are Scientist still have a a firm fan base world-wide.
Remaining founders Keith Murray and Chris Cain never fail to add a comic effect to their videos, but that does not stop their songs from having that edge, with lots of grit, anger, and a great song about drinking!
That drinking song, ‘Jack & Ginger’, and the album’s second single ‘Nice Guys’ are by far the stand-out tracks on the album. WAS have a great gift for developing catchy indie songs that are easily likeable without going down any kind of copy cat, follow the herd, avenue.
In fact, ‘Puttsburgh’ sees the band return to their original great form circa With Love & Squalor. There are underlying dark tones, grungy guitars, beautifully completed with harmonious choruses.
Regular listeners will lap this up no doubt. For new comers, it’s not a bad album to start off with. Between this and With Love & Squalor they’re sure to rock Oxegen.
The Magic Numbers
The Runaway
AFTER SEEING The Magic Numbers play an acoustic set on RTÉ’s Other Voices a couple of months ago I had high hopes for the band’s new album.
The indie-folk group have leaned more to their folk influences here. Their third album comes after a four year break, and there’s certainly a laid back vibe. Although it’s called The Runaway, there’s no sense of rushing here. Unfortunately there’s also no real sense of that happy-go-lucky pop they had crafted so well on songs like ‘Forever Lost’ or ‘Love Is Just A Game’.
It’s not that The Runaway is a bad album. In fact the opposite. It is well executed, full of melancholy sounds, and oozing a stress free attitude.
But that’s not what I'm looking for! There’s nothing to really get excited about here. But then again, there’s nothing much to hate!
