Maybe scientists, but not musicians

We Are Scientists pounds out some bland miscellanea in its new album, With Love and Squalor. By trying to turn every track into a chart-topper, the songs end up being consistently flat. While the band represents itself as uber-dorks, they push the pretense too far. The hype goes on about We Are Scientists' geek image, but that eclectic appeal fails to materialize within the band's music. \nWith Love and Squalor's riffs aren't characterized by the clever efficiency of bands like Franz Ferdinand or the pop-glitz of Morningwood. Lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Murray's self-centered lyrics quickly become tedious and repetitive as the album drags on, which is an unfortunate fit for the music he fronts. \nThere are brief moments, particularly during the song "Textbook," when With Love and Squalor looks like it could transcend this, but these brief perks never prove sustainable. Everything they have to offer has already been done to death, and We Are Scientists fails to approach its craft with the genre-revitalizing style of bands like The Electric Six or The Darkness.\nWe Are Scientists is successfully establishing a fan base, particularly in England, and getting attention. From all accounts, it puts on a good live show. Regardless, while With Love and Squalor might hit its mark with a mainstream teenage audience, there's little about the album to recommend it to devoted indie rock aficionados looking for the next big thing.