We Are Scientists will be releasing their new full-length album, Barbara, next week.  Their lead singer Keith was kind enough to take some time to speak with us regarding the album, what else the band is up to, and what they think of social media.  He used the word ‘freewheeling’ twice, and ‘facile’ once – and we appreciate his candor and willingness to talk to us.

Tympanogram: I was looking at the interview you did with The Music Slut the other day.  The name of your new album is Barbara, and you told them it was because you wanted it to be more universal and not representative of somebody specific.  Now what if someone doesn’t know anyone named Barbara; will that affect their enjoyment of the album?

Keith Murray: I think ideally it works best if you don’t know someone named Barbara.  The choice of the name Barbara was sort of angled at having a name that didn’t seem strange at all; it seemed like a familiar name without having any specific real world attributes to put to it, whereas if we had named it ‘Jennifer,’ most likely you would know a Jennifer or a Heather.

I think those without a Barbara in their lives will get the most out of it.  I feel like knowing a Barbara has the same effect as reading a book after seeing the film adaptation.  You’re always going to see Tom Hanks as the serial killer.

T: But what if people have a grandmother named Barbara?  That could also be a pretty big turn off.

KM: I actually think that would be a delicious subversion of the album.  I think it adds something perverse and taboo that makes the record a little more spicy than it otherwise might be.

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I’m feeling somewhat introspective this morning, so I’m getting into a couple of tracks that are pretty intensely personal.  If you have no idea why they’re numbered and what the Time Remaining means, take a second to catch up on my personal take on The Project here.  Once you’re up to speed, lets get reflective:

71. Ryan Adams – So Alive (mp3) from Rock N Roll (3:58) [Time Remaining: 660:16]

If you don’t already know the story behind the release of Rock N Roll, allow me to give you a brief rundown.  It was recorded in its entirety in two weeks as an appeasement to Ryan Adams’ label after their disappointment with the tracks that would become Love Is Hell.  The album has its detractors and its devoted following – as do all of Ryan Adams’ albums.  Consider me firmly on the devoted follower side, although I’m not as firmly entrenched as others.

“So Alive” is the centerpiece of the album, to be sure.  The music is upbeat, the lyrics are much more dynamic than Ryan’s general melancholy, and listening to it feels to me like spinning in circles.  It’s a song that quite literally forces me to digest it for periods of time.  Listening to it once requires at least another 5 listens to take it all in properly.  Writing about it required a cool dozen spins to obtain a proper handle on suitable words.  This is a song that makes me want to write about music because – even having listened to it innumerable times since its release, I’m still so taken aback by how truly incredible it is.

72. We Are Scientists – This Scene Is Dead (mp3) from With Love and Squalor (3:44) [Time Remaining: 656:32]

I bought the debut from We Are Scientists on a whim after being intrigued by the serrated rock of their first single – “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.”  The album became a bit of an obsession for me, and it dominated the soundtrack of quite a few nights of drinking that summer.  (My pal Ryan moved across the country about 3 years ago now, and he said that to this day he’s unable to listen to the album without missing that summer.)

We Are Scientists didn’t take themselves particularly seriously, and their debut made it seem as though they were just intent on having a good time with their music, and that’s subsequently all I’ve ever enjoyed it for.  It was great for driving, better for pre-gaming and ideal for drinking games – particularly 99 around our place.  This song is still tops on my drinking playlists.