We Are Scientists
‘Barbara’
(Masterswan)

It’s heartbreakingly appropriate, hearing a We Are Scientists song concede that “nice guys finish last anyway”; after all, they’re considerably more avuncular than the bulk of the bunch that sidled into view via varying degrees of attachment to the emo bandwagon, yet the universal belovedness their good humour’s engendered hasn’t yet translated to sufficient Big Hits Proper. Still, they must be hoping that having a bona fide chart-topper on board (having recruited drumming Razorlight escapee and ‘America’ penman Andy Burrows) can supercharge their fortunes somewhat, but, just to be on the safe side, they’ve also unleashed a fistful of songs that’d do any of the mid-noughties breakthrough brigade prouder than many of them can still conceive. ‘Break It Up’’s a fantastic case in point, its salubrious new wave shimmy smashing between Blondie’s ‘Atomic’ and James’ ‘Laid’, while, elsewhere, ‘Ambition’, for all its cavalier cartwheeling through the rhyming dictionary, proves charmingly chiming, ‘Jack & Ginger’ lightens proceedings lusciously via a fusion of nimble synths and fanbase-friendly “woah-oh”s, and ‘I Don’t Bite’ is an irresistible post-punk pop joy. Frankly, if this doesn’t work out, we’d recommend experimentalism as the only remaining option, since all the ingredients are absolutely there for a thoroughly explosive reaction.

Iain Moffat