Welcome back, We Are Scientists!
The new five-track EP Business Casual is the first release for the group in three and a half years, and it has the band flexing all of their sonic muscles.
Business Casual punches in at just over 17 minutes, and man do they pack as much in as possible.
Unfortunately, while the EP showcases the band’s musical diversity – from straight-up, Wolfmother-esque rock on opening track ‘Dumb Luck’, the smooth semi-balladry of ‘Good Answer’, and the raw acoustic of ‘Courage’ – the time away hasn’t really helped the band figure out what direction they’re headed.
While many might consider that a good thing, in the case of Business Casual, it comes across as trying to do too much in such a short timeframe.
The listener is dragged from one sound spectrum to another and not given a chance to settle in, which makes for an uneven experience.
However, Business Casual closes with a slow burner – a dreamy, atmospheric, and country-tinged version of Berlin’s ‘Take My Breath Away’ that should be well known to fans of the film Top Gun (RIP Goose).
On the first line of the EP, singer Keith Murray croons: “It took you long enough to figure this out”. While We Are Scientists haven’t quite figured it out just yet, Business Casual proves they have a big bag of musical tricks at their disposal. So, when they do choose to use them, fans are in for one hell of an album – whenever that may be.
Listen to ‘Dumb Luck’ from Business Casual here:
