Tuesday 20 May 2008

Review - We Are The Physics - We Are the Physics Are OK At Music.


Something that sounds genuinely new and interesting should be celebrated with a large fanfare and a parade down the local high street – for We Are the Physics are here. The thing is that while these guys sound different and sound unique you realise after a couple of listens that they are not doing anything completely different, but are just taking bits from loads of bands, throwing them into a big pile and running through it, diving into and all the while shouting loudly.

They sound like mix of Franz Ferdinand, Les Savvy Fav, The Hives and Belle and Sebastian. No, wait, let me explain; the band have taken the shouty vocals from Les Savvy Fav 9and a bit of the high fret board guitar work), the danceable rhythm from Franz and a smattering of tongue in cheek from The Hives. So where does Belle and Sebastian fit in?

Well, the key to WATPh is that while they are jumping about the stage, frantically drumming, shouting, barrelling lyrics off, they have a handle on some rather exciting melodies that will stay with you for most of the day. A great example of this is the bass line from “Bulimia Sisters”, the shouty chorus from “You Can Do Athletics BTW”, and rather frantic shout along “This Is Vanity”. The tunes are infecting and will burrow deep inside that mind of you – your foot is tapping and you smile is widening before you cans top your self.

There does seem to a bit a problem with the album though, and I might say it lies in the production. The amazing riff that is buried in deep in “Pylons + Other Modern Art” is lost – if the riff was as prominent as the “solo” 1.00 in then it might have lifted the song above the rest of the album. Elsewhere the scatter technique of the drumming lets the songs go of in insane tangents almost every 10 seconds which can berate after a couple of listens.

The sum of the album though is that this is a good collection of songs. Fans of the band will recognise a few from singles that the band have released – there are a few tracks new to this album that will not have heard, but the quality of those singles (which for months have been on the band’s Myspace) are good enough to warrant a purchase. A great album, though not for everyone, I can’t wait to see what the band can do with their second album.

Did I mention that three of the four are called Michael?

8/9

Band's Myspace
Buy Album from Play.com MP3 Downloads

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