Huffy

We Are Scientists

We Are Scientists broke out in 2005 with an excellent record titled With Love and Squalor. It drew my attention thanks to the very creative drumming and the great bass lines. It also had this almost burning sensation from how fried the guitars sounded. It was a great record, one that would be very difficult to top. Especially since after the release of that record, drummer Michael Tapper left the band. I was pretty disappointed considering how much of a focal point his contributions to the music were for me. Since then, I've caught wind of things they've done here and there, but nothing really captivated me on the same level. I ended up growing more oblivious to their output since 2014's TV en Français, and I thought that should change with the release of their new record Huffy.

I've heard it quite a few times and while I do find it pleasant, I find it to be not all that exciting or memorable. The record certainly has it's moments like the fuzzy, heavy rock choruses on You've Lost Your Shit, the soaring falsetto vocals on Contact High, and the arpeggiated, bubbly synths on Just Education. There's lots of little things the band can still do really well, but on this record they can't seem to put it all together into a really spectacular song. The drum grooves are pretty plain and unimaginative - I realize I'm unfairly comparing them to the work of Tapper. Also, I can't really recall a single fantastic bassline, which could be due to it not being as present or punchy in the mix as I've heard on their other records. The whole thing just feels very safe.

With that being said, I should acknowledge the track Bought Myself a Grave because I believe the band did take a bit of a risk here. It begins as an unassuming acoustic folk rock tune on the surface, but you do get the sense that something is off as more electronic moments and various reversed instruments duck in and out. Around the halfway mark is when the track suddenly transitions into a pounding 'four-on-the-floor' dance beat. There's lots of space that is filled with fleeting electronics before a very fuzzy guitar comes in to ride the rest of the track out. Oddly enough, it kinda reminds me of Justice in a way. I'm not particularly sold on it, but on a record that feels like the band is getting by with the bare minimum, I appreciate the attempt to really mix things up.

Huffy is an okay rock record. There was nothing on the record I absolutely hated or bored me to death, but it also didn't leave much of a lasting impact. Perhaps if you're a really big fan of We Are Scientists, and have been following their career all this time, then you're probably pretty excited. However, for me, I can't help but think how this pales in comparison to their stellar work 16 years ago.