Customer Reviews

We Are Your Friends

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

This sounds like exactly was it is. Four university students who grew up liking the Warp label and Andy Warhol. It could be a jam band in the vein of Gomez, but it is a result of liking everything musical and leaving no influence down in the mix. Songs like "La Breeze" and Sunshine" state the case well: electronic funk for the chronic minded. Many of these songs like "Helpless" sound like they could go well with commercials. Almost every song sounds like a hit. Simian are probably liked by people who were championing The Beat Band and Air a few years ago. They seem like some harmless psychedelic fun at the end of the day. Let us celebrate the death of kitsch. Music is the window to the universe.

(www.freewilliamsburg.com)

this album, which is an upbeat mix of alt rock and electronic elements, is great for any mood and any time of the year. surprisingly complex, it weaves a tapestry of sound and can't fail to make you happy.

This album was brilliantly made with the help of home-made gadgets. They were all made in the 70's but spotting them will be much of a hassle as the band blend in beautiful lyrics and melody into it. I was cleaning up my place few days ago with "We are your friends " blasting out from the speakers and it made me paused for several moments. Every track that ends doesn't seem to built-up for the next, It's so psychedelic, gotta be one of the best releases of the year

I'm sorry, but the second effort by Simian is a total let down.
Whereas "Chemistry is What We Are" was like an awakening, "We Are Your Friends" bored the hell out of me.

I didn't expect to hear the same exact album, I mean, I expect people/bands/artists to evolve and grow, but this is terrible.

Friends don't let friends drive drunk. As an added caveat, friends who have friends who are Simian fans won't let them buy this album.

To put it bluntly the sonic experimentaion, interesting sound flourishes, twisted-yet-catchy melodies and overall creativity Simian displayed on its debut album is all but absent.

The music is cookie cutter, wannabe sunny California crap, and everything about this album is generally offputting. Not even the best songs here capture a fraction of what made the debut so wonderful. Avoid at all costs, unless someone hands it to you walking down the street.