We Are Scientists

Keith Murray has issues. On With Love and Squalor, the debut album from his band We Are Scientists, the dyspeptic singer-guitarist beats himself up on track after track about his heavy drinking, his social anxiety and his relationship troubles. The glum, woe-is-me tone is so consistent that it's almost a concept album. And it would sink the album if the music accompanying Murray's self-flagellations weren't so consistently compelling.

At first blush, We Are Scientists come across as just another cookie-cutter "dance-rock" band in the tradition of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. And at their weakest, that's pretty much all they are -- the lead track "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" sounds like The Bravery with an emo twist. But over the course of the album's 12 tracks, the band reveals songwriting chops and power-trio arranging skills that far surpass most of their peers. Straightforward power-pop ditties like "This Scene is Dead" and "The Great Escape" skate nimbly through different styles and tempos, sounding at various moments like skater-punk singalongs and Cure-like bursts of romantic angst and serrated guitar chords.

Bassist Chris Cain and drummer Michael Tapper deserve a lot of credit for lifting We Are Scientists above the dance-rock tag for the creative ways they turn these songs inside without ever losing the groove. But surprisingly, it may be Keith Murray and his epic odes to his own shortcomings that keep this band in the spotlight for a long time to come. He hasn't quite elevated his own misery to an art form the way, say, Morrissey has, but on With Love and Squalor, Murray comes close. - Andy Hermann

While Keith Murray (vocals/guitar), Chris Cain (bass), and Michael Tapper (drums) don a nerdy math-chic look, their glossy indie rock sound is all style. With Love and Squalor marks the band's major-label debut release for Virgin. Sure, fans of Bloc Party, the Killers, the Rapture, and Franz Ferdinand will most likely take to this snazzy 12-song set; however, We Are Scientists offer one element that the rest of the pack does not: more substance than shtick. With Love and Squalor is accessible enough for mainstream alternative rock fans, but also slick enough for those indie rock loyalists who still worship the Smiths. Album opener "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" highlights the band's sexiest side with chunky guitar hooks and a flirty, danceable chorus. Murray's nervy vocals are a near match for Gene's Martin Rossiter as he croons, "My Body is your body/I won't tell anybody/If you want to use my body/Go for it." Some might think their introduction is a bit brash, but We Are Scientists immediately succeed in keeping cool and cockiness parallel. "This Scene Is Dead" and "Callbacks" curve around punky, fist-pumping rhythms while "Worth the Wait" and "The Great Escape" toy with art rock aesthetic. Unlike the Killers' Hot Fuss, With Love and Squalor is not a pretentious package. We Are Scientists come off well in being both snide and playful. Finding that balance is what makes With Love and Squalor a solid debut. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide