Qualifying Miles
Groenland, 2025
9/10
The New York indie-rockers We Are Scientists are back with a 9th album, and it has the founding members, Keith Murray and Chris Cain, stripping back their approach to a ‘band in a room’ aesthetic where the infectious songwriting and personal wordplay is still very much intact.
“A Prelude To What?” opens the listen with strong attention to mood via the radiant guitar before Keith Carne’s thumping drums enter the haze, and “Starry-Eyed” follows with Cain’s animated bass that suits Murray’s rich vocals, as the setting turns a bit more muscular.
Residing halfway through, the busy and buzzing “Please Don’t Say It” brings rhythm and melody into bright delivery, while “What You Want Is Gone” swirls with an infectious energy thanks to the lively rhythm section and Murray’s searing guitar.
Getting close to the end, “I Already Hate This” comes with some pop fueled bouts amid Sean McVerry’s well timed saxophone, and “Promise Me” exits with a slight jangle that surrounds the textured and harmonic indie-rock.
Few bands in indie-rock have enjoyed careers as long or consistently great as We Are Scientists, and these ‘90s guitar rock tinted tunes prove that 2+ decades into their existence they are still very much ahead of the pack.
Travels well with: Wonderly- Wolves; The Cranberries- To The Faithfully Departed