We Are Scientists
TV En Francais
Reviewed by: Stephen Krock
In this fourth album, the band proves they are still indeed scientists with the meticulous biology of their songs and the chemistry they have with their genre. We Are Scientists have always covered the scope of alternative rock in their work, boasting solid post-punk/emo boy vocals, killer guitar riffs, and hooks and harmonies worth writing home about. They can be straight up pop rock (as in “What You Do Best”), they can bring the garage down (“Dumb Luck”), or croon a ballad while skating on the edge of a knife (“Courage”). All the while, they avoid succumbing to the common gripes of genre, never whining and always bringing something new to the table with each track, but still maintaining their own voice.
We Are Scientists have always rocked just a little harder than their counterparts. Their debut With Love and Squalor lending more to head banging and fist pumping than the more restrained bob-your-head-with-your-hands-firmly-placed-in-the-pockets-of-your-hoodie vibe that we get here. A double edged sword in the sense that it’s somewhat of a bummer, but at least the band has evolved and matured. Regardless, TV En Francais is a worthy addition to We Are Scientists’ repertoire and a fine introduction for anyone new to this always great band.
Rating: Bad-Ass
