Propelled by an urgency and immediacy that is only hinted at in their first album. It's a more focused affair, filled with ecstatic choruses and a soulful swagger that recalls early Small Faces, John Lennon, T-Rex and th... more »e Motor City shouters of yesteryear, all the while retaining the whimsical sense of play and kaleidoscopic production values of their 1st album. Astralwerks. 2002.« less
Propelled by an urgency and immediacy that is only hinted at in their first album. It's a more focused affair, filled with ecstatic choruses and a soulful swagger that recalls early Small Faces, John Lennon, T-Rex and the Motor City shouters of yesteryear, all the while retaining the whimsical sense of play and kaleidoscopic production values of their 1st album. Astralwerks. 2002.
"I will admit I have not listened to the first Simian album but if it's not like this one I may not care for it. I enjoy the punchy effervescence this album brings to the table. Its playfulness reminds me of a more rock-oriented Basement Jaxx, I enjoy it and I dont care what anyone says to the contrary."
Best of 2002?
Doug Nay | Syracuse, IN USA | 12/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Those fans pining for Chemistry Is What We Are Part 2 may be disappointed, but this album is a spectacular bit of work. Still keeping a good foot in the door of fusion and the sound dynamics that pervaded their first release, they turn up the volume, turn up the energy, and have much, much more fun. This record is immediately accessible, lively, and as enjoyable as albums come. Much more, it can be spun repeatedly, without fear of overexposure. With all the sad-sacks puling out anemic tunes these days, it's a blast to hear some fellas having a go at a good time (and succeeding so thoroughly). Everyone I've exposed this gem to has fallen in love with it, including people with very dissimilar music tastes. Bluntly, it's a winner, no doubt about it. It could very well be the best of 2002."
Neptunes producing the Beatles!
Doug Nay | 11/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a stellar return for Simian. We Are Your Friends has at the same time strikingly familiar references, yet decidedly sounds like nothing you've ever heard. Melodic vocals, with harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys or The Monkees, project an unabashed joy throughout the record. The drums provide a strong backbone- loud, and with a big rock'n'roll emphasis in the mix. The unusual instrumentation is present as in their debut, however this time through they're much tighter and more condensed (and enhanced with more electronics). The beauty of this record truly lies in Simian's ability to take the dirty, sexy, bounce that the Neptunes use in their hip hop production, and bring it back to rock and roll. It's quite a fresh approach, and although you'll hear many influences throughout the record, Simian have achieved a new and improved sound all their own."
Thank God For The STOP Button
Mark Eremite | Seoul, South Korea | 11/16/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"When I was considering owning this album, I listened to a few random tracks. Amazingly, the four tracks I sampled were the only moderately good ones on the entire record. LA Breeze, while a little short, is quirky and schizophrenic, some breezy back-alley fun. The plastic-flavored Sunshine still has enough funk and heart to be enjoyable. When I Go is saved from a hokey death by an invigorating chorus and head-in-the-clouds bridge. End of the Day is a rhythm-and-bass heavy bit of fanciful freneticism.
The rest of the album is unlistenable.
Normally I consider things "unlistenable" when there is an experiment at work (such as My Bloody Valentine's sound-drenched, static-cling of a record, Loveless -- you either hate that album or love it, and usually for the same reasons). Here there is no experimentation going on. It seems, in fact, like there's virtually nothing going on at all. Just a lot of cheesy electronic riffs mixed with some trite lyrics sung in a nasal whine.
Rarely does an album that is this tame and watered-down get on my nerves. Some of the songs (the groggy and art-wrecked Helpless, or Skin with its eye-rolling lyrics and plodding musical backdrop, or The Swarm's atonal flavorlessness) are the musical equivalent of listening to a child hitting a saucepan with a spoon over and over again. You can't believe anyone (even the child) could stand such dissonance and repetition. The only real difference? Here you have a stop button."
They haven't "blown" it, yet...
Scott Kiernan | NJ< USA | 11/06/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"They didn't "blow" it, because this album is a lot of fun to listen to, It zips by because yeah, it is more focused, "pop" than chemistry, and some of the songs are kind of lacking, but if you just listen to the record straight through without picking out every song as a separate entity, it's just sucha pleasure. An album full of b's and a few c's, whereas chemistry is an album with an A+, a couple of A's, and the rest C's. Yeah, I like chemistry better---I sense the quality and creativity that is sometimes absent here, but that doesn't mean this is still better than the bulk of the garbage out now. I'll probably sell it tomorrow, but I'll enjoy it today."