2010's Dance Rock Anthem
The Pes | 06/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This time around the boys from Brooklyn come out with a masterful album, after the off-kilter Brain Thrust Mastery. Barbara combines the catchy punk-pop of With Love and Squalor with the pop 80's style they went for in their second album. Along for the ride is new drummer (and former Razorlight member) Andy Burrows. I'm not sure if the inclusion of Burrows made the difference between the sophomore album and Barbara, but if it was then he's a welcomed addition to the former duo of Keith Murray and Chris Cain.
Barbara is a great album for those that like dance-rock. The album kicks off with Rules Don't Stop. This song really sets the tempo for the rest of the album. It's a catchy two minute song that really gives you a nugget of what's to come after it. Everything after that comes into step and you start to notice a great string of strong songs one after another.
The strongest of the bunch in my opinion are Central AC, Rules Don't Stop and Break It Up. Although, to be honest this is one of the few albums out there where you can listen to the whole list without a complaint. We Are Scientists have a good mix of tempos, songs like Ambition and Pittsburgh bring down the rhythm, but keep that calm and cool feeling of the album.
Give strong credit to the production as well, as this seems to be the cleanest sounding album that they've produced so far. Gone are the scratchy, garage band demo-like recordings of Brain Thrust Mastery, and in come more clean, crisp guitars and vocals. Which really add sparkle to some of the songs, and normally I'd be abhorrent to some of that sparkly, bubbly pop that sometimes corrupts songs of this nature, but here it's just fits. They found that right balance of pop and rock.
In all, Barbara is probably the best album so far from We Are Scientists, and after (in my opinion) the let down of Brain Thrust Mastery, it's good to see that We Are Scientists have come out for the better in this third outing. They have crafted a true gem of an album, one that you'll find hard not to nod your head to the tunes you'll find here.
If you like the Strokes, Bloc Party (at least their first album, Silent Alarm) and The Cribs, then you'll definitely appreciate and love Barbara.
Must buy."
Awesome-Best Album yet.
Xector | Your Imagination | 06/18/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is We Are Scientists' best album yet.
It simply is an amazing album.
The album has the same sort of sound as With Love and Squalor.
It is nothing out of the ordinary, but generates an instant sense of familiarity.
If you liked With Love and Squalor, you will definitely like this album."