Almost four years after their last album, We Are Scientists make a triumphant return with TV En Français.
A band that are definitely worth checking out when they play SUSU on March 17th (tickets are available here), their fourth studio album is an array of love songs, ranging from the delicate to the downright dance-able. It’s an exploration of all angles of relationships, and TV En Français translates raw emotions into concise, manageable chunks of indie, as mentioned in our interview with them.
The singles ‘Dumb Luck’ and ‘Make It Easy’ provide a fantastic taster of the album, with ‘Dumb Luck’ showcasing the more anthemic and upbeat side of TV En Français through its simple melody and ramped up guitars. ‘Make It Easy’ demonstrates the fine balance between Keith Murray‘s vocals and the instrumentation needed to create such a beautifully understated love song.
TV En Français is a very consistent album, with We Are Scientists deviating minimally from what is a tried and tested formula, and it works very well. Tracks like ‘Courage’ resemble Come Around Sundown-era Kings of Leon with its lilting rhythms and intimate lyrics; however Murray’s vocals seem a world away from Caleb Followill’s Southern drawl. Murray’s vocal slides on ‘Slow Down’, which is ironically one of the faster songs on the album, add a different dimension to TV En Français, and show that We Are Scientists aren’t afraid to take a risk.
‘Sprinkles’, ‘Slow Down’, and ‘Don’t Blow It’ help to maintain the pace of TV En Français. ‘Don’t Blow It’s fifties-style feel is perfect single material. With its stunning harmonies, simple guitars, and lyrics like ‘When you talk about love, it’s not a discussion’, it certainly has a place as a stand-out track on the album.
Overall, TV En Français is a fantastic return for We Are Scientists, and filled with love songs for every occasion.
8/10
TV En Français is released on March 3rd on 100% Records. It is available to pre-order here.
