By By Elyssa A. Goldstein

There are few times in the music industry when imitation is openly merited, however there are even fewer times when it is downright rejected. We Are Scientists is comprised of Keith Murray on guitar and lead vocals, Chris Cain on bass and backing vocals and Michael Tapper on drums and backing vocals. They formed in California in 2000 and quickly relocated to New York City the following year to create new material for a commercial release.

However, Murray and company arrive too late to the party to be considered anything but the palest imitation of The Killers’ vocal arrangements and Franz Ferdinand’s instrumental grooves. The record (produced by Ariel Rechtshaid of Los Angeles bands Foreign Born and Dirty Little Secret) never breaks its up-beat tempo or showcases any variety or originality. Some lyric contributions make an impression, as with the song “It’s a Hit,” but the album is almost painful to listen to as each song seems like an extension of the previous track.

Songs like “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” and “Inaction” remind the listener of Bloc Party’s driving drums lines. “The Great Escape” has Devo-like vocals and “Can’t Lose” mirrors early Eve 6 Max Collins. “Cash Cow” has a ska beat that ignites some toe-tapping and head-bobbing, but no one song stands on its own two feet. Every composition sounds like somebody else, and each and every time the other band did it a lot better.

Everything about the band feels fake and forced. One wonders if they wrote one song with 12 different sets of lyrics. As well as if Murray really sounds the same without the audio editing and layering of a studio, if Rechtshaid will ever produce an album again (or if the band itself will ever release a major-label album again).

It would be best for the sake of many aggravated listeners if all these factors were indeed true. However, if bland imitation is your passion, We Are Scientists is for you.